tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56780070005140934282024-03-13T05:13:57.907-07:00Some Things Are Hard To SayAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-44622407386445711722013-11-07T07:06:00.002-08:002013-11-07T07:10:59.934-08:00Rachel's story of her son's circumcision complications<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3,"tn":"K"}" style="font-size: small;"><span class="userContent"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Thank you to my friend Rachel, for being willing to share her story and the story of her sweet little boy. Circumcision complications are NOT rare. They happen all the time. There are no medical benefits to circumcision, and many, many risks. Please keep reading and researching! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WSDKX7vJdeY/UnutdxmKJUI/AAAAAAAAAGY/AHdGkDTQDEs/s1600/Whole.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WSDKX7vJdeY/UnutdxmKJUI/AAAAAAAAAGY/AHdGkDTQDEs/s1600/Whole.jpeg" /></a></div>
</span></span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3,"tn":"K"}"><span class="userContent"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">"All
of those who are on the fence about circumcision or who are planning to
do it, please take a few minutes and read my son's story.<br /> <br /> We
had my son circumcised when he was a day old, my husband wanted it done
and I left that decision up to him. Little did I know, that was
something that we would both come to regret.<br /> <br /> A couple weeks
ago, the tip of my son's penis started looking really irritated. I
figured it was because my diapers needed to be stripped. I stripped
them. Three times. His penis was not getting better. Within a couple of
days, it looked like his urethra opening was ripping. I looked for
advice from some of the wonderful ladies in my moms group and one friend suggested it might be a circumcision complication.</span><span class="text_exposed_show"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /> <br />
We took him to the Children's hospital here to be checked out. The
resident suggested it was our diapers then, the attending said it was
herpes which was likely caused by us sexually abusing him. The "what in the world"
factor for that is very high. Our kids are NOT sexually abused.<br /> <br />
The next day, we made an appointment with our pediatrician. He said it
was most likely because his penis was growing. We demanded to be
referred to a urologist. <br /> <br /> Since then, we have seen two
urologists who both agree that it is a circumcision complication and my son will need a series of 4 skin grafts to correct it. <br /> <br /> We
have a meeting with a third urologist, a lawyer, and the doctor who
performed his circumcision on the 12th. The doctor wants to apologize to
us because she admits that she did not have time to properly perform
the procedure and also did not administer any form of numbing agent.<br /> <br />
As a result of this, his penis might never function properly and each
time he gets an erection, his penis splits just a little more. He wakes
up every night when he gets an erection screaming in pain. <br /> <br /> We
now live with the guilt that we did this to him. We made a life altering
decision to remove part of his body and our baby boy has to pay the
price. "</span><br /> </span></span></span></h5>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-87046218759728437912013-09-12T10:50:00.002-07:002013-10-04T18:25:59.164-07:00A Common Sense Approach to Routine Infant Circumcision from the Christian Point of View by Rebecca James<span style="font-family: inherit;">When people debate the circumcision issue they like to talk about all the “studies.” Scientific studies to prove that there are potential medical benefits. Studies that disprove the potential medical benefits. Studies that prove that circumcision doesn’t change any sexual function or pleasure. Studies that prove that circumcision drastically alters sexual function and reduces sexual pleasure. There are also studies that prove that female circumcision has many similar potential medical benefits. We could also easily do studies to prove that </span><a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/08/routine-toe-removal-has-health-benefits.html?m=1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">removing a variety of random body parts may offer some potential medical benefits</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Can we just throw out the studies and use some common sense here?</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<h2 dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
What are we doing to our babies?</h2>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</h2>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
In the beginning, God created man in His image. God created man complete with a foreskin. And what did God say? God said, “IT IS VERY GOOD.”</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">It is very good! Why is it so hard for us to understand that GOD created man in HIS image, and said, “It is very good!?” God created man WITH a foreskin and somehow we are forgetting that GOD said, “It is very good!” Do we not believe God’s own words? Do we not trust Him to have known what HE was doing when He created man with a foreskin?</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>The circumcision that God commanded in the old testament was </b></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marked-Your-Flesh-Circumcision-Ancient/dp/0195315944" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">not the same procedure</span></a></b><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> that we know as our modern day circumcision. </b>It was literally a “mark” in the flesh intended to be the sign of the Covenant. Not much was removed. God never intended to amputate such a valuable, useful, protective, and purposeful part of the body.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;">Even better, once Jesus fulfilled the Covenant of the Old Testament, the new sign of the Covenant became</span><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;">BAPTISM! Not circumcision! This is a great joy and a blessing!</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">We know from history that the original reason for our <a href="http://www.birthingalternatives.com/Resources/Circumcision/American%20History.pdf" target="_blank">modern medical circumcision procedure</a> (extreme amputation of the entire foreskin) was to </span><a href="http://www.historyofcircumcision.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=48&Itemid=0" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">curtail sexual experience and pleasure</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">. That was the #1 reason it was done. Once that reason became a little lack-luster, medical professionals started </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeAXantm4tE" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">scrounging around for so-called “potential medical benefits”</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"> to keep the tradition going. It became such an ingrained (and also lucrative) tradition that everyone willingly became brainwashed to think it was normal and good. We have become desensitized to the horrors of genital cutting simply because it is so widespread in this country and has been done for so long. No one wants to think that they have been abused or damaged, so they gladly accept the brainwashing and keep it going. Doing it to our children is the only way to prove that it was “okay” to do it to us in the first place.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">In most other developed nations, this is simply not done. Babies are born with foreskins and are allowed to keep them! They are treated with bodily respect and integrity and are given the basic human right to their own divinely-created body. The “medically necessary” circumcision rates in most of these countries is so low, it’s hard to even numerate. These boys go on to grow and develop completely normally and then they get the bonus and added benefit of getting to enjoy their foreskin for the rest of their lives! People in other countries where infant genital cutting is in no way normal or accepted, they are </span><a href="http://youtu.be/FSfHQ-iZFfk" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">shocked and horrified to learn that it is common practice in the USA</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;">Here in the USA we are somehow convinced that out of all male mammals born on this planet (all of which are born with a foreskin/prepuce), only the </span><span style="color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">American</span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;"> human infant male </span><span style="color: #502d08; vertical-align: baseline;">requires </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;">surgical amputation of the foreskin upon birth.</span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;">Foreskin is </span><span style="color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">not</span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;"> a birth defect. ALL baby boys are born with a foreskin. God does not make mistakes. The foreskin is not God’s little mistake.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
What are we doing to our babies?</h2>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Here are some new testament verses about circumcision to consider.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">********</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"As God has called each man, in this manner let him walk. And thus I command in all the churches. Was any man called in the circumcision [Old Covenant]? Let him not try to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in the uncircumcision [New Covenant in Christ]? Let him not be circumcised! Circumcision is nothing. And uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the commandments of God. Let each man remain in that condition in which he was called." - 1 Cor. 7:17</blockquote>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"And I testify again to every male who receives circumcision, that he is in debt to keep the whole Law. You who do so have been severed from Christ...you have fallen from grace." - Gal 5:3</blockquote>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"But if I still proclaim circumcision. . . then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished." - Gal 5:11</blockquote>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I wish that those who are pushing you to do so would mutilate themselves!" - Gal 5:12</blockquote>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"And even those who advocate circumcision don’t really keep the whole law. They only want you to be circumcised so they can brag about it and claim you as their disciples." – Gal 6:13</blockquote>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Watch out for those wicked men – dangerous dogs, I call them – who say you must be circumcised. Beware of the evil doers. Beware of the mutilation. For it isn’t the cutting of our bodies that makes us children of God; it is worshiping him with our spirits." – Phil 3:2-3</blockquote>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you be circumcised, Christ will be of no advantage to you." – Gal 5:2</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #502d08; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">********</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">Lest you forget, we’re talking about </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">cutting the genitals of defenseless babies without thei</span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">r consent</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">. In what other situation could this possibly be considered “okay.” How come it’s a jailable offense when done to baby girls, and yet condoned and recommended for all baby boys? All men are born with a foreskin. Just as all girls are born with clitoral hoods and labia. As a Christian, I trust that God, who is the creator of both our bodies, and of sex, knew what he was doing and didn't make a mistake on all baby boys ever born. No study in the world could convince me that this could ever be right. THROW OUT ALL THE IDIOTIC STUDIES. How could we even </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">consider</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> “studying” such a horrifying tradition!? Why would anyone WANT to “justify” this? </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">After having removed myself from the culture of “it’s normal, everyone does it, every man is circumcised, it’s harmless, it’s just what we do, it’s just what we’ve always done.” I can no longer even begin to understand how we got here.</span></div>
<span style="color: #502d08; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<h2 dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">What are we doing to our babies?</span></h2>
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Using logic, common sense, and reading the Bible makes this clear. How can the cutting of a baby’s genitals be so normal and accepted!? How did we become so desensitized to this violation of our children?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">My favorite Bible verse about this topic is:</span></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. -<span class="null" style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Psalm 139:13-14 </span></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="null" style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<h2>
To summarize: </h2>
<ul dir="ltr">
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="separator" dir="ltr" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LJ0DZP25dps/UjJ6aqi9-hI/AAAAAAAAAGE/lTcC7t-otvI/s1600/Fotor0912223421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LJ0DZP25dps/UjJ6aqi9-hI/AAAAAAAAAGE/lTcC7t-otvI/s320/Fotor0912223421.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">God created man (with a foreskin) in His own image and He said, “IT IS GOOD.”</span></div>
</li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span>
</span>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">God does not make mistakes. </span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span>
</span>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">We are told that God KNIT babies together in the womb of their mother, and that we are wonderfully made, and that HIS works are wonderful. So why do we have the right to alter His wonderful handiwork within moments/hours of birth? (Or even days, weeks, or months.)</span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span>
</span>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">All baby boys are born with foreskins. They are not a birth defect.</span></div>
</li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span>
</span>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;">Every male mammal on the planet is born with a foreskin/prepuce. Why would</span> infant, human, American males be the only mammal on the planet to need surgical correction upon birth?</span></div>
</li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">If you cut off any limb or organ from a non-consenting individual without medical need, it is considered malpractice and abuse.</span></div>
</li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">The penis is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">the only</span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> part of an infant’s body that is not protected from unnecessary surgery. Where are the medical ethics!?</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
</li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">If you were to circumcise a </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">baby girl</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">, it would be a federal violation. </span></span></div>
</li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">If you were to circumcise a </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">dog</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">, you would be charged with animal abuse.</span></span></div>
</li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">If you were to circumcise a </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">corpse</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">, it would be a federal offense.</span></span></div>
</li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">If it’s so obviously </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">wrong</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> to do to baby girls, dogs, and corpses; WHAT are we doing to our baby boys!?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
</li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Our current practice of modern medical circumcision began during the Victorian era specifically intended to alter normal sexual function, reduce sexual experience, and reduce sexual pleasure.</span></div>
</li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">We are talking about </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">cutting the genitals of babies</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">. Without their permission. It is excruciatingly painful and completely unnecessary and permanently scars their body, alters their sexual function, and reduces their sexual pleasure.</span></span></div>
</li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">We should not be doing ANY “studies” to prove such an abhorrent thing should even be considered. Forget the studies. Get back to basics. Think logically. Think critically.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
What are we doing to our babies!?</h2>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-4680592763176596712013-07-21T10:54:00.001-07:002013-07-21T11:30:51.209-07:00You can't have it both ways: Circumcision as a Biblical sacrifice AND for "cleanliness" I have heard this many times among those in the Christian community who are pro-circumcision.<br />
<br />
The acknowledgement that circumcision is not required for salvation, however it is a sacrifice that is supposed to made. AND that God MUST have known what He was doing, and required it for health and cleanliness reasons, because foreskin is dirty. Also, maybe He made foreskin, just as an "extra" so that it would be hanging there in order to be cut off, to fulfill His command (that one requires some Biblical gymnastics).<br />
<br />
You can't have it both ways. Arguing this point shows a lack of understanding about the word and meaning of "sacrifice", both in the Old Testament and New.<br />
<br />
A sacrifice, in the Bible, was NEVER something meaningless. Never. Otherwise, it would not be a sacrifice. The Israelites were to give their BEST in sacrifice. In Genesis, Abraham was asked to sacrifice his most beloved son, Isaac. At the beginning of the book, Cain and Abel were asked, respectively, to sacrifice the best of their particular fields of work (animals, and crops). For sacrifices in the temple, followers of Christ were to bring the best that they had to offer from their flocks. In Genesis 8, we see Noah offering the best of the clean animals and birds (which were those they were permitted to eat), as a sacrifice. In Exodus 13:2, God requires the firstborn, both human and animal. Culturally, firstborns were favored, with inheritance, birthright, and blessing. The concept of "first-fruits" runs throughout Scripture-the idea that we are to give the first and best in sacrifice and thanksgiving to God.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The very fact that God required a cut "in the flesh of the foreskin" (Genesis 17:11) shows that foreskin is NOT just "extra skin", and that it is a valuable and useful part of the body. </span> </b><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bwGemrdxiDg/UeweC4eouyI/AAAAAAAAAFw/Q_C4EyChOtI/s1600/Cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bwGemrdxiDg/UeweC4eouyI/AAAAAAAAAFw/Q_C4EyChOtI/s320/Cross.jpg" width="195" /></a><br />
God Himself made the ultimate sacrifice. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosover believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting love". The first. The best. The only. That's sacrifice.<br />
<br />
One thing that I know is true about God, and His character is that He is not haphazard, or random. Throughout Scripture, nature, and many other sources we see God move with purpose and clarity. He does not make mistakes.<br />
<br />
I do not believe that God stepped outside of His character or own order when he used circumcision as a reminder and a sacrifice. Given the information about the difference between OT circumcision and modern day medical circumcision, the circumcision that HE required did not cause the severe issues that the circumcisions of our modern culture do. (1)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>It is not an affront to God to point out the problems with modern, medical circumcision-they aren't in any way the same thing. </b></span><br />
<br />
I do not believe that He screwed up when he made male infants, and that He suddenly realized in the Old Testament that part of their anatomy needed to be cut off in order for them to be healthy. Not only does this not match up with current scientific evidence, it does not match up with a loving and perfect Creator. Genesis 1:31 says that God looked at His creation, and declared that it was very good. That included foreskin on a man. <br />
<br />
Additionally, it does not match up with the intent of sacrifices to claim that God had people remove the foreskin for hygiene reasons. It can NOT be BOTH a sacrifice, AND a dirty, nasty, diseased item. <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dirty, nasty, diseased, useless things were not appropriate sacrifices in the Old Testament. Only the best was to be sacrificed. You can not have it both ways. It flies in the face of God's command, and His order to claim that the foreskin was BOTH a sacrifice and a liability. </b></span><br />
<br />
The Old Testament, and Hebrew Law was very comprhensive in talking about and making laws regarding "uncleanliness". This included rules about everything from leprosy, to what they ate, to women's cycles. (The majority of these are found throughout the book of Leviticus, but also referenced elsewhere throughout the Old Testament)<b> </b>Never in any of these laws is foreskin mentioned as unclean. <b><br /></b><br />
<br />
So, since it can not be both, which is the reason you are proceeding? Is it due to the fact you believe God requires this blood sacrifice, even post Jesus? Or is it because you believe the removal of the foreskin to be of medical benefit?<br />
<br />
If your answer is sacrifice, I ask you to consider these Scripture:<br />
<br />
<i>Hosea 6:6 "For I desire steadfast love, not sacrifice. <span class="indent-1"><span class="text Hos-6-6">And acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." </span></span></i><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Hos-6-6"><br /></span></span>
<i><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Hos-6-6">Proverbs 21:3 "Righteousness and justice are more acceptable than sacrifice"</span></span></i><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Hos-6-6"><br /></span></span>
<i><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Hos-6-6">Hebrews 13:16 "</span></span>Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."</i><br />
<br />
<b>The best sacrifices we can give are to give of ourselves-to do good, love others, love God, acknowledge Him and His word. THIS is what is pleasing to God, not a blood offering.</b><br />
<br />
<i>Hebrews 10:11-14 " <span class="text Heb-10-11" id="en-ESV-30128"><sup class="versenum">11 </sup>And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.</span> <span class="text Heb-10-12" id="en-ESV-30129"><sup class="versenum">12 </sup>But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,</span> <span class="text Heb-10-13" id="en-ESV-30130"><sup class="versenum">13 </sup>waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.</span> <span class="text Heb-10-14" id="en-ESV-30131"><sup class="versenum">14 </sup>For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.</span></i><br />
<br />
<span class="text Heb-10-14" id="en-ESV-30131">The New Testament makes it clear that Christ is THE SACRIFICE. He is THE ONLY sacrifice that we need. To add to that, or take away from it, is to completely deny the cross. Praise God that He took the penalty, and erased all need for our own bloodshed (and the bloodshed of animals and babies) in order to be in communion with Him. </span><br />
<br />
<i><span class="text Heb-10-14" id="en-ESV-30131">Galatians 5: 1-6</span></i><br />
<i><span class="text Heb-10-14" id="en-ESV-30131"> </span><span class="text Gal-5-1"><span class="chapternum"> </span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="text Gal-5-1"><span class="chapternum"></span>For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.</span></i> <br />
<i><span class="text Gal-5-2" id="en-ESV-29148"><sup class="versenum">2 </sup>Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.</span> <span class="text Gal-5-3" id="en-ESV-29149"><sup class="versenum">3 </sup>I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.</span> <span class="text Gal-5-4" id="en-ESV-29150"><sup class="versenum">4 </sup>You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.</span> <span class="text Gal-5-5" id="en-ESV-29151"><sup class="versenum">5 </sup>For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.</span> <span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152"><sup class="versenum">6 </sup>For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.</span></i><br />
<br />
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152">The whole book of Galatians is lead up to, and proof of the lack of need for blood sacrifices for the New Testament believer. Christ's death frees us from the Old Testament law (and I must ask, if you are keeping circumcision out of respect for the Old Law, are you also keeping the rest of the Old Testament law? Sacrifice of animals? Other OT laws?) <b>God, through Paul, makes it abundantly clear that the attempt to use circumcision as a sacrifice to gain favor with God flies in the face of grace. </b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152">So, if not for sacrificial reasons, are you doing it because you think that God instituted the practice for medical reasons, and that it never was a sacrifice or sign at all? That is not what Scripture says. In the New Testament, circumcision of the heart is referenced, which has led some to say that THIS is a sign that circumcision is right, because it signifies the cutting away of "bad stuff", so therefore, foreskin must be "bad stuff". We have established that considering foreskin "bad stuff" opposes the theology that it was a sacrifice, so that is not a possible interpretation. So what DOES it mean?</span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152">It means that God has always had a way of speaking to people in a way that they would understand. "Circumcision" was a term that the people would understand as a "cutting". (Literally to cut a circle). The word circumcision in these passages is simply to indicate the cut. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152">Additionally, even if one WERE to somehow deny circumcision as a sacrifice, and instead believe that circumcision of the Old Testament was for health benefits, the fact remains that modern science has proven that currently, it is NOT of any health benefit (2). I think we all would agree that modern medicine is not equivalent to what was available in the Old Testament, and we have a number of ways to handle things that were not available at the time. Though intact men and boys actually have less complications with their intactness (God knew exactly what He was doing!) than circumcised boys, if there IS ever a problem, the treatments available now are much different than what was available in the Old Testament. But as noted, it does not make sense when looking at the character or nature of God, and the fact He considered His to be very good, AND in His image, to believe that He made men, then said "oops-that foreskin is gross-better cut it off". I submit to you that He does not make mistakes, and that the circumcision that HE required never had to do with "dirt".</span><br />
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152"><br /></span>
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152">We can't have it both ways. We can not use the Bible to justify our culture, yet deny Scripture itself, and the character of God itself, in order to make our point. These two ideas are a complete clash of theology, and both ideas can not be held in conjunction with one another. <span style="font-size: large;">Circumcision as BOTH a Biblical sacrifice and a health benefit is literally not possible.</span></span><br />
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152"><br /></span>
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152">1. <a href="http://www.somethingsarehard2say.blogspot.com/2013/07/is-circumcision-christian-thing-to-do.html">Is Cirumcision the Christian thing to do?</a></span><br />
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152"><a href="http://www.fisheaters.com/circumcision2.html">The difference in diagram</a></span><br />
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152"><a href="http://www.fisheaters.com/circumcision2.html">Differences described</a></span><br />
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152"><a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/07/biblical-circumcision-information.html">Biblical Circumcision Information</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152">2. <a href="http://www.somethingsarehard2say.blogspot.com/2013/04/reported-medical-benefits-of.html">Assumed Medical Benefits of Circumcision</a></span><br />
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152"><a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/pregnancy-childbirth/whether-or-not-circumcise">Dr. Sears, No Medical Benefits to Circumcision</a> </span><br />
<span class="text Gal-5-6" id="en-ESV-29152"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-35869161620441503162013-07-10T09:51:00.000-07:002013-07-10T11:57:12.586-07:00Is Circumcision the "Christian" Thing to Do? by Crystal Lutton<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4358">
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4357" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4395" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I asked my friend, <a href="http://crystallutton.com/">Crystal Lutton</a> to write this post for me. Crystal is a rabbi and pastor at the <a href="http://hearunderstandobey.com/">Shema Congregation</a>, and is a Messianic Jew. She is also a published author, wife, and mother. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4395" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eOtfxm89dLA/Udy-6fWkx-I/AAAAAAAAAFc/UPRgCuUwfWY/s1600/Crystal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eOtfxm89dLA/Udy-6fWkx-I/AAAAAAAAAFc/UPRgCuUwfWY/s320/Crystal.jpg" width="265" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4395" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4395" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><u>Is Circumcision the "Christian" thing to do? by Crystal Lutton</u></b></span></div>
<br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4395" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yes, God commands circumcision.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4359" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4360" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4401" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;">Deuteronomy 10:16 </span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4366" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4394">Circumcise</b> therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4367" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4369" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4368" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Deuteronomy 30:6 And the LORD your God will <b>circumcise</b>
your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the
LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may
live.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4370" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4403" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4402" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Except the debate that goes on around us in the modern world is about circumcising the flesh.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4404" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4406" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4405" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What
is the big deal about circumcision? It happens to be one of those
issues that gets debated on mommy blogs, has entire websites devoted to
doing it and not doing it, has spawned movements, and has resulted in
the threat of divorce from those who support it and are opposed to it.
But what’s the big deal? Is there really anything to be fighting about?</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4407" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4409" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4408" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’ll
leave the issue of Routine Infant Circ (RIC) to others - except to say
that some doctors refuse to perform RIC and I have yet to encounter any
compelling information supporting RIC. At this point the largest reason I
hear for people circing their sons is to have them look like daddy -
which I would like to point out would utterly change in one generation
if this generation would say no - the next generation would be avoiding
circ so that Junior could look like his father. I do want to be very
clear, however, that <b>RIC does not fulfill any aspect of the Biblical
circ </b>and should you convert to Judaism you would still need to be
pricked to shed blood.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4410" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Which
leads me to what I do want to discuss --- what the Bible actually says
about circumcision and whether Christians need to do it.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4411" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4413" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4412" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">According
to Genesis 17:24 Abraham was 90 years old when he was circumcised. And
Romans 4:12 points out that it he is the father of our faith - a faith
he had before he was circumcised. It was in Genesis 17 that God had a
heart to heart with Abraham and said this (vs 10):</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4415" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4414" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“This
is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant
you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised”</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4416" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4418" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4417" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He
goes on to say that this circumcision is to be done on the 8th day and
includes those born to him and his descendants, those bought from a
foreigner or in their home as indentured servants. Born by blood or
bought with your money, if they are living in your home the males must
be circumcised. Verse 14 gives insight into how serious an issue this
was to be:</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4419" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4421" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4420" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4423" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4422" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We
see this being very important when we get to the Exodus and we are told
that no one is allowed to eat the Passover Lamb who has not been
circumcised. This is because only those who have truly converted to
Judaism are going to be allowed to be in the homes protected by the
Passover Lamb’s blood, and only those who have truly joined up with the
Jewish people are going to be allowed to join them in the Exodus and be
with them when they are made a Nation.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4424" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4379" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4378" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Circumcision
was introduced as an outward sign that you were going to eventually
possess a circumcised heart and become part of God’s Kingdom. If you
were not circumcised before joining God’s Kingdom, that circumcision of
the flesh was the external sign that you were now sporting a circumcised
heart. It was the last step of conversion to Judaism. Without it you
were a God-fearer, with it you were a convert with full rights and
status. But I don’t want to make it sound like things are all cut and
dried (no pun intended). There was discussion between God and Abraham
over whether circumcision was needed (and Abraham was allowed to go from
age 48 when he responded to God’s promise of a covenant until he was 90
and was circumcised), and between different Jewish sects over what is
required of the proselyte.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4391" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4377" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4376" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What
exactly is this circumcision? What does it mean? You might recognize
the root for “circle” - also seen in circumference, or the measure of
the distance around a circle. There is also the root for “cut” - also
seen in incision. So we have a command to cut a circle. And we know
from study of this issue and especially from Zipporah’s faithfulness
with Moses’ son, that the circle was cut in the foreskin.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4425" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4375" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4374" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What
was actually commanded was to cut the tip of the foreskin off. The
foreskin is a large piece of skin that hangs down over the head of the
penis anywhere from a short distance to quite a large amount. The
average RIC removes approximately a postcard size piece of skin. But the
command wasn’t to remove the foreskin - it was to cut a circle in the
foreskin - or remove the tip. In fact, the practice was to remove the
tip of the foreskin until around the time of Paul and the Romans. </span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4392" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4373" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4372" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Paul
speaks of removing the marks of circumcision, and “uncircing” is a
practice to this day involving hanging weights from the foreskin to try
and lengthen it and recreate the covering of an uncirc’d penis. At the
point he was teaching it was a big deal to be circumcised if you wanted
to go to the gymnasium or the bathhouses because the Romans viewed
circumcision as mutilation. It was not uncommon for Jewish men to try
and lengthen their foreskin or hide the marks of their circumcision.
The response of the Rabbinic community was to alter the style of
circumcision and remove more foreskin - making it harder to fit in
outside of the Jewish community.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4371" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0px;">
<b><span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Paul’s
response to the issue is quite different. He says, “Was anyone at the
time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the
marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised?
Let him not seek circumcision.” This is because Paul was navigating
something amazing and new that God was doing - God was welcoming the
former Gentiles into His Kingdom!</span></b></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Paul
was navigating the coming together of different classes, different
races, different people of different backgrounds as they all responded
to the promises of salvation through Jesus. Those who came Jewish were
told to stay Jewish. <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Those who came as non-Jews were told to not get
circumcised - God had accepted them as non-Jews and it was okay to
remain non-Jews. </b></span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4428" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4427" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4426" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The
Jerusalem Council agreed with him! Peter had already had his vision
where God made it clear to him that the Gospel was going to the Nations -
the non-Jews. The non-Jews who accepted Jesus were being called clean
by God! <b>The Jerusalem Council did not require circumcision for those
who were becoming part of this new and expanding community.</b></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4429" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And yet we continue to debate this in 2013!</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4430" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4432" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4431" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I
understand those who are born Jewish and want to know whether
circumcision is still required for their children. It is an ancient
tradition and there is something amazing about being part of a tradition
commanded by God for those who are born as descendants of Abraham.
There is debate within the Jewish community about the modern practice of
circumcision and there are ceremonies that can be found online for
blessing ceremonies that don’t cut the flesh. For those who want to
undergo brit milah and have a Biblical circumcision, I recommend talking
to a mohel about the actual practice. To this day there are three
types of circumcision which each remove a different amount of skin.
Talk about removing the least skin possible. There was even a Rabbinic
allowance for those babies who might have bleeding disorders. They were
allowed to have only one prick of the skin because a single drop of
blood was considered enough to have cut the covenant. As with all
things I advocate doing your research and determining exactly what you
want done to your son.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4433" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4452" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4453" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I
understand those who have embraced a Messianic approach to worship
where, regardless of your nation of birth, you have embraced a Torah
observant lifestyle. While Paul and the Jerusalem Council were
insistent that you need not be circumcised to be part of the Kingdom
People, there is a place for discussing whether, now that you are part
of the Kingdom People, this command to circumcise your males on the 8th
day applies to you. This is something that you must work out between
you and the Lord and please do not let anyone try to dictate what you
will do with your sons. If you do determine to have them undergo brit
milah, please see my encouragement above to speak to a mohel and pursue a
ceremony involving the least removal of foreskin. I do not believe
that God ever intended men to lose their foreskin completely, even where
shed blood was supposed to mark their inclusion in a covenant people.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4449" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4450" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I
do not understand the debate among those who do not embrace living
according to Torah and who are not blood descendants of Abraham. <span style="font-size: large;">There
is absolutely no command for the Nations to be circumcised. A RIC does
not satisfy the requirements of Biblical circumcision. </span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4448" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4447" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4446" style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">*For more information about the history of circumcision you can read here <a href="http://www.aboutcirc.com/tradit.htm" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4445" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4444" style="color: #021eaa; letter-spacing: 0px;">http://www.aboutcirc.com/tradit.htm</span></a></span></div>
</div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1372903234214_4443">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-46773707151720672232013-07-03T06:07:00.000-07:002013-07-03T06:28:35.130-07:00Healthy newborn in NICU following circumcisionThis literally turns my stomach. I have a knot in my throat, and tears. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V7Puy0xhvFI/UdQmsjMUvgI/AAAAAAAAAFM/NMMc9F-4I2s/s400/Regret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V7Puy0xhvFI/UdQmsjMUvgI/AAAAAAAAAFM/NMMc9F-4I2s/s320/Regret.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
I have learned from a friend of a little one she knows who has been fighting for his life after his circumcision surgery.<br />
<br />
He was a healthy, full term, newborn baby boy. Perfect and loved.<br />
<br />
His circumcision, done not for medical, nor religious reasons, nearly killed him.<br />
<br />
He spent several days in the NICU on life support.<br />
<br />
He has lost a good portion of his penis.<br />
<br />
His adult sexual function will be altered.<br />
<br />
He is days old, and has already had to have a surgery (in addition to his circumcision surgery) and there are many more in his future.<br />
<br />
Friends, this is preventable.<br />
<br />
All this happened, to this precious child, for no reason. <br />
<br />
This HAPPENS. It happens to real people. To real babies. Innocent babies who have not asked, nor do they need cosmetic surgery on their genitals. It could happen to your baby. <br />
<br />
Please don't risk it. It's not worth it. <br />
<br />
That's all I can say about that. Pray for this child. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-21455957482207815062013-07-02T06:11:00.000-07:002013-07-02T06:11:04.051-07:00The Obvious Choice for an Unconventional Dad: By Chad B.<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>The Obvious Choice for an Unconventional Dad</u></b></div>
<br />
I am not the norm when
it comes to dads in my area. Being an atheistic, vegan who practices
attachment parenting and baby wearing, who makes his own laundry
detergent, among other household cleaners, uses cloth diapers and has a
scent-free home does not fit in with the average Chattanoogan guy who
loves football and beer and couldn’t give a crap about all that other
stuff. I am so crunchy, you can practically smell the granola from
here, can’t you?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qKdZdWnYHMU/UdLRMdXs4nI/AAAAAAAAAEs/DbhllSif3AA/s276/Dad-with-sleeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qKdZdWnYHMU/UdLRMdXs4nI/AAAAAAAAAEs/DbhllSif3AA/s276/Dad-with-sleeper.jpg" /></a>But I wasn’t any of these things until my wife was
pregnant with our first child. It all started with my wife deciding to
have a natural home birth. Once you start down that road, you will end
up eating tofu grinders at <br />
Sluggo’s eventually, just like we did. We
began to question the way we look at most things, including our diet,
the products we use in our home, how we want to relate to our kids, to
spank or not to spank, etc. At first we thought our first child was a
boy. (Turns out she was a wonderful and maddening little girl, who I
can’t imagine life without.) So of course my wife began educating me
about circumcision. <br />
<br />
To me, circumcision had always been an elective
surgery. I had never believed any of the false claims that it
magically cures or prevents things like cervical cancer, HIV or
masturbation. It was just a matter of how you want your junk to look.
Turtleneck or crew. My dad was the only son of three who was left
intact and he disliked the teasing and feeling of otherness so much that
he determined to not pass that on to me, so I was circumcised.<br />
<br />
Well,
it didn’t turn out quite like he expected. I am still unclear to this
day what exactly happened. Was it a botched surgery? Was my genital
aftercare subpar? Why did it heal the way it did? As a result of my
circumcision, I was left with some confusing scar tissue and I was never
sure why my penis looked different from that of my peers. I mean, from
the looks of things, I definitely wasn’t intact. But I didn’t really
look circumcised either. I was far too embarrassed to ask about it when
I was a teenager, so it wasn’t until I was an adult that I finally had
the wherewithal to find out. It appears that it was, for whatever
reason, the way that my circumcision was allowed to heal that left me
looking a little different than the rest. I found this out around the
time my wife was pregnant with our first child, so I soured immediately
on the idea of circumcision before much reading or research was done.
Since it is elective, there is no reason to risk it.<br />
<br />
Of course, I
have many reasons to choose to leave my son intact. Pain of the
procedure, risk of surgical site infection or even death, deprivation of
sexual pleasure and overall function, etc. But mainly, I find that now
the most important reason I am against circumcision is that I don’t
feel I have the right to deprive this little person of a choice. My dad
has the option of altering himself if he so chooses. I do not. It
feels very wrong to me to consider altering a baby’s sexual organs and
not allowing him to come to his own conclusions about his body.<br />
<br />
I
have come a long way from where I was, but to me, all these decisions I
have made and am making about my life and my family just seem right,
good and true. There isn’t much more to say than that.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-26020616923583319702013-06-28T06:30:00.000-07:002013-07-02T22:15:32.775-07:00Resources by MenSome of the resources on the "My Favorite Resources" list are by men.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lU1R7D8Dzow/Uc3Rm4mhjeI/AAAAAAAAAEc/O9QW0ICbM5A/s467/colin_farrell_headshot-4005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lU1R7D8Dzow/Uc3Rm4mhjeI/AAAAAAAAAEc/O9QW0ICbM5A/s320/colin_farrell_headshot-4005.jpg" width="320" /></a>However, I decided to also make a list of resources regarding circumcision that are all by men. Some folks feel that this topic is dominated by women. I believe that women should definitely have a huge role in this. However, if you are interested to hear from men themselves, there are certainly plenty of places to hear from them! Please note that while I have promised to keep what I post myself free of certain words and images, I do not claim that these extra resources have the same requirements. I will add more so feel free to check back! <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.notjustskin.org/node/7">Not Just Skin, Ryan McAllister, PhD</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2011/02/men-ask-why-was-i-circumcised.html">Men Ask, "Why was I circumcised?"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ceht-3xu84I">Child Circumcision: An Elephant in the Hospital (video)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/14/post/2011/12/uncommon-sense-from-a-common-dad.html">Uncommon Sense from a Common Dad</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLGcqPE7xu0">Penn and Teller on Circumcision</a> (Language warning!! Video)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://naturalpapa.com/babies/circumcision/circumcision-will-you-make-the-cut/">Circumcision: Will You Make the Cut?</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.somethingsarehard2say.blogspot.com/2013/04/i-dont-know-why-i-was-circumcised-chads.html">Chad's Story</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://somethingsarehard2say.blogspot.com/2013/06/cates-story-reluctant-dad-mom-who-said.html">Cate's story </a> (See comments-two men give good insights)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/pregnancy-childbirth/whether-or-not-circumcise">Dr. Sears, Pediatrician, Whether or not to circumcise</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi6A7wP7dKw">Circumcision, the Whole Story</a> (Video-graphic pictures, in medical setting)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/hesaid-circumcision-our-bodies-our-choices-part-2-men-and-their-members/">Circumcision: Our Bodies, Our Choices</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.noharmm.org/raising.htm">Raising Our Sons: Support from Circumcised Fathers of Intact Sons</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.circumcisionharm.org/">Global Survey of Circumcision Harm</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.restoringtally.com/blog/2010/03/fathers-talk-his-son-about-infant-circumcision">Father has Talk with son about Infant Circumcision</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.savingsons.org/2013/06/to-happily-circumcised-american-man.html">To the Happily Circumcised American Man</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://stopthecutting.wordpress.com/">Stop the Cutting</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/12/circumcision-secret.html">The Circumcison Secret</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.savingsons.org/2013/04/birth-of-activist-reflections-from.html">Birth of an Activst: Reflections from David Wilson</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freeyourkidsblog.com/men-do-complain/">Men Do Complain</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Circumcision/circumcision.html">Hebrew for Christians-Should a Christian be circumcised?</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://botched-circumcision-recovery.blogspot.com/?zx=1c2074f484583874">Recovery from a Botched Circumcision</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.468323879888839.112274.240981025956460&type=1">Intact Male Celebrities and their thoughts on the matter </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.savingsons.org/2012/07/realization-of-circumcision.html">Realization of Circumcision</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-92204364498537294102013-06-19T09:45:00.003-07:002013-06-21T19:22:01.908-07:00Some of my favorite resourcesThere is so much great information out there about circumcision and reason to keep your baby intact. Below is a list of some of my favorite articles and resources.<br />
<br />
While I have promised to keep my own blog free of inflammatory/harsh words and graphic pictures, I can not promise the same for these links.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>This first link is a video called "Child Circumcision: An Elephant in the Hospital". It is a college class presentation presented by a research professor at Georgetown. It contains some medical type pictures.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ceht-3xu84I">Child Circumcision-An Elephant in the Hospital</a><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>This next one is an article originally posted on the WHOLE Network, called "Why my Son is Not Circumcised". It is a good solid article that covers all the main reasons that people consider circumcision, and why this mother did not find those reasons valid.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/14/post/2011/10/why-my-son-is-not-circumcised.html">Why my Son is Not Circumcised</a><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Next is "Doctors Opposing Circumcision", which is exactly what the title would indicate. </li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/">Doctors Opposing Circumcision</a><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>"Whether or Not to Circumcise" by pediatrician Dr.Sears</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/pregnancy-childbirth/whether-or-not-circumcise">Whether or Not to Circumcise</a><br />
<br />
Circumcision, The Whole Story-by Dr. Christopher Guest and Barrie Midwives. Great explanation and medical perspective. Graphic pictures, in medical setting.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi6A7wP7dKw">Circumcision The Whole Story</a> </li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-13673527594290225082013-06-18T16:25:00.001-07:002013-07-15T12:15:06.961-07:00Confessions from the Wife of a Circumcised Man, by Rebecca<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-7ecf1489-5995-efc7-311f-f682cb613532" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Because
of the Grace of God, my husband and I had saved ourselves for each
other prior to </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">marriage. We felt very strongly that we should not defile
the marriage bed by entering into a physical relationship outside of
the marriage covenant. It seemed clear to us that God’s plan for
marriage includes purity outside of marriage. Because of this, after we
were married, the first few months were a huge adjustment to the
physical intimacy of marriage. It was a beautiful time in our lives and
we loved every moment of getting to know each other more intimately. We
had our “issues,” but also quite enjoyed the process of working on them. Thinking back on our “honeymoon” years always makes me smile.</span></div>
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YszRzy4tBbo/UcEbbOhoZmI/AAAAAAAAAEM/FieoiC1ApXc/s1600/Rings.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YszRzy4tBbo/UcEbbOhoZmI/AAAAAAAAAEM/FieoiC1ApXc/s1600/Rings.jpeg" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At
the time I had no concept of what circumcision was or what it meant to
me. I knew little about it and had known no other man but my husband so
he was my whole world. As a newlywed, I often talked with friends who
were also young-marrieds or newlyweds to learn if any of them had the
same “difficulties” that I had as a newlywed. We often found we had some
of the same issues and it was helpful to know I wasn’t the only
newly-married-wife to experience these things! I was in good company. </span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And
things continually got better as married life wore on. We have truly
had a very joyful and happy marriage in every way, despite any bumps in
the road along the way! We learned how to communicate and work well
together in most areas.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once
we had our first son though, we were forced into researching
circumcision so we could decide if we needed to have our son circumcised
or not. After I came to the realization of what circumcision is and
that it had been done to my husband, things that we went through as
newlyweds and things that my friends had gone through as newlyweds all
started to make so much more sense. I could look back on specific
conversations with other newlywed wives and it all became painfully
clear. In retrospect, it all lined up. The issues we discussed down to
the nitty gritty details - it all came down to circumcision. I had no
idea! It was so eye-opening and painful to realize that our sex life had
been so negatively affected by something we didn’t even really ever think about or
realize had any role whatsoever. It made me a little bit angry, but
mostly sad. Sad for him and also for myself- that we’d never know what
sex is like as God intended. I know there is nothing we can do about
it and I have accepted that. I am grateful for our marriage (all aspects
of it!) in spite of it all!</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Because
of what we learned, we are so happy to have left our son with all the
body parts that God gave him and as strange as it may sound, we are
happy that he will be able to experience a fuller sex life, as God and
nature intended! Despite the lingering sadness for what my husband
and I cannot have back, it makes us even more grateful and relieved to be able
to leave our son intact!</span> <span style="font-size: 0px; position: absolute; top: -50000px; white-space: nowrap;"></span><span style="overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: -50000px; white-space: nowrap;"></span><span style="left: -999px; position: absolute; top: -999px;"></span><br />
<div style="position: absolute; top: -1000px;">
Anonymous Elephant has joined the document.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-42964672750690727772013-06-18T15:39:00.000-07:002013-06-18T15:39:11.099-07:00Cate's Story: A Reluctant Dad, A Mom who said "Never Again"When we were pregnant with our first child, we decided not to peek at
the gender and just wait and be surprised. My husband was adamant about
circumcising if we had a boy. I did a little research, but only on
pro-circumcision sites.<br />
<br />
I deeply regret not researching more. I was
just so relieved that my husband was on board with my choices about
alternative parenting practices, like natural birth at a birthing center, etc. I thought I should give him this one thing that was important to
him. We had a birthing center birth, so I found a pediatrician that
performed circumcisions in her office. <b>When the baby was born and we
found out he was a boy, I started feeling panicky, but stuffed my
feelings down.</b> We had the appointment scheduled for 5 days after birth.
Looking back, I am really glad we had breast feeding established and
that the circumcision surgery wasn’t performed on his first day on Earth.<br />
<br />
The whole
elevator ride up to the doctor’s office, I felt so anxious. I really
wanted to grab my baby and run, but I stuffed those feelings down. After
the initial check up, she said it was time to start the circumcision. I
had wanted to stay in the room, but changed my mind last minute. My
husband stayed, and I waited outside the door. I began to hear an infant
cry while waiting outside the door. I wanted to go back in to him, but
was afraid to startle the doctor and make her botch the surgery. The
crying seemed to go on and on and on. I started to cry and
hyperventilate. The nurses brought me a cup of water and chair. It was
the worst 5 minutes of my life. When they told me I could go back in, my
baby wasn’t tear streaked, he was very calm. I asked him, “but wasn’t
he crying?” and the told me he didn’t cry at all (my husband had let him
suck on his pinky that was coated in sugar water. It’s supposed to
have a calming effect on babies). It turned out that the cries came from
a baby in the next room was getting her 2 month vaccinations, but the
way the sound traveled made it sound like my son. I was so relieved he
didn’t cry. We took him home, I nursed him and he fell asleep. He slept
for a long, long time. I roused him to try and nurse him about four
hours later and checked for excessive bleeding, but he fell right back
to sleep. He probably slept 8 hours straight. I called my mom and asked
her about it, but she said he was probably just sleeping off the local
anesthesia and when you’re sleeping you’re healing.<br />
<br />
<b>I later found out he
was most likely in shock.</b> Oh my poor little baby. In the following
days, he would cry every time he peed, I can’t imagine how much it stung
and burned him. I would cry every time I changed his diaper, his little
penis just looked so angry and sore.<br />
<br />
No one had told us to pull
back the skin around the head of the penis, we weren’t given much post
surgery care instructions. He had a very loose circumcision, and the skin
started to re-adhere but I had no idea. By 5 months, it was totally
reattached but I never realized it. It started to leak pus out of a
little hole where the skin hadn’t re-adhered on the side of the penis. I
did a little research, and figured out what had happened. All the
re-adhered skin was trapping germs and skin cells inside. According to
my research, the skin needed to detach or it could cause a lot of
problems later on in life when he started to have erections. I soaked
the area in a warm wash cloth over the course of a few days, and it
started to detach. That was when my real regret started to sink in, his
penis was just trying to go back to the way it should be. When I was
researching all this, I found lots of web sites against circumcision,
and my eyes were really opened. I began to feel so sad<br /> regretful
about what I had done.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMpBRKcGTGE/UcDf0hNNc0I/AAAAAAAAAD8/JArgXrUh1fA/s1600/Never+Again.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMpBRKcGTGE/UcDf0hNNc0I/AAAAAAAAAD8/JArgXrUh1fA/s1600/Never+Again.jpeg" /></a>When my son was around a year old, I told my
husband I regretted it. I told him all the things I had found in my
research, how it’s just a cosmetic surgery with no medical benefits. I
told him I felt like a dog owner that had her dog’s ears clipped just so
they would look a certain way. I told we were no better then the
parents that have their daughter’s genitals cut in Africa, we just
had a sterile surgery instead of one on a dirt floor in a hut. Needless
to say, that didn’t go over well…. We kind of just left it at that for
awhile. We had planned on starting to try for another child when my son
turned two, so right around his second birthday I dropped the bombshell.
I told my husband that if we were to have another boy, there was no way
on earth I would allow him to be circumcised. I would fight him tooth
and nail over it. <b>I told him it mattered so much to me, that I was
willing to not have another child and leave our son an only child so
it wouldn’t have to come to that. </b><br />
<br />
My husband and I do not argue ever.
We have a very peaceful marriage, and usually never disagree on
anything. We decided it would be better for us to forego having another
child then to risk having another boy and having a giant rift between
us. I was heart broken. I did not want only one child. But that is how
important not circumcising again was to me. There were many nights I
cried over it, and my husband would hold me as I cried. We just couldn’t
see any other way. My husband was very, very adamant about having his
son(s) match him. I did ask him could I gather all my arguments against
it and present them to him at one time so I could say I tried
everything. He allowed me to do that. I tried to keep my emotions out of
it, and just present facts. Facts like circumcision only began in this
country as a way to curb masturbation in young boys. Sex doesn't feel as good without a foreskin. Babies die
from circumcision, it’s just not a well reported thing. The rate of
parent's circumcising is dropping, so the whole “locker room” argument
isn't true anymore (and our kids will be home schooled, so that’s a moot
point anyway). The New Testament of the Bible states it’s not
necessary, so the whole “God requires it” argument doesn't work (and if
you look at the way it was required in the Old Testament, it’s very
different form the medical circumcision of today. Back then it was just a ritual
cut, not slicing off the entire foreskin). It didn't change his mind,
but I felt like I had done all I could. From time to time, when we’d be
out in public and see a little newborn, I’d just look at my husband with
sad eyes and he would know what I was thinking; that I wanted another.
People would ask us, “so when is the next one coming”, and we’d just
tell them we were done.<br />
<br />
By the time my son’s third birth was
approaching, I was finally coming to terms with the fact he really was
going to be an only. I had prayed for an “oops” baby, but had even quit
doing that. We were getting past the baby stage with him, he was
sleeping through the night, weaning, and potty learning. I was starting
to look forward to the next stage of our lives. One day, we were riding
in the car and I threw out one last time, “I really want another baby”.
And to my very great surprise….he said okay. OKAY!?!? What??? Did I hear
right??? He told me, “I’ve really been thinking about it, and if you’ve
done all this research and really come to the conclusion that it’s best
to not circumcise, I will concede to you. I still want any sons we
might have to match me, but I’ll give that up so we can have another
child. If we have a boy and they ever ask us why they don’t match each
other, you have to be the one to explain it to them”. I was in such<br />
shock. I just started crying and hugging him, I couldn’t believe he told
me that in the car. I just wanted to jump in his arms and kiss his
face. I loved my husband so much in that moment. I know how hard it was
for him to “give in”. I guess he just needed a lot of time to process to
everything. I floated around on cloud 9 for days. I was so ecstatic he
had changed his mind. We started trying right away, and got pregnant on
the first try. I went from never thinking I was going to have another
child to pregnant in just a matter of weeks. What a whirl-wind. My
husband really wanted to peek at the gender this time, and….we are
having a little girl! She will remain intact, just as every child
deserves to be.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-79603973101506661212013-05-02T19:13:00.000-07:002013-05-02T19:13:03.880-07:00My Journey to Mothering Three Intact Boys- Jane's story<br />
<br />
My husband comes from
a pretty crunchy clan. He is the baby of a big family and we were on
the tail end of adding grand babies to the crew. One of his older
(wiser) sisters left her son intact (he was the first nephew born since
our wedding) and we wondered why on earth she’d do that?! So we
investigated and read The Case Against Circumcision (Paul M. Fleiss, MD) (1)
and eventually AskDrSears.com’s article (2) on circumcision and decided
before we were ever even pregnant with our first child that we would not
make a decision to take a part of his body unnecessarily and without
his consent. I think it took us maybe 15 minutes to read the Case Against Circumcision
article and make our decision. It was that convincing. Many risks and
zero benefits, we were sold. <br />
<br />Three years later we found ourselves
expecting our first child, a boy! We were thrilled! I don’t recall any
strange inferences from our medical providers (midwives and
pediatricians) that he should be cut. In fact, I recall my midwife
being relieved that we made the choice of intact-as-default.<br />
<br />Something
that always amazes me is the great lengths women will go through to
avoid tearing or an episiotomy during labor and birth. Why then do we
hand over a precious, whole, healthy baby to have HIS privates cut?! <br />
<br />We went on to have two more whole boys. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NUzLILJZ-ew/UYMdDKSPtGI/AAAAAAAAADk/nYX1qviCpEs/s1600/babyboy4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NUzLILJZ-ew/UYMdDKSPtGI/AAAAAAAAADk/nYX1qviCpEs/s1600/babyboy4.jpeg" /></a></div>
<br />We
have never had any problems with infections or UTIs. Any kind of
redness has been easily and quickly healed by an Epsom salt/baking soda
bath and some herbal salve. <br />
<br />I am a bit of an intactivist (as
non-confrontational as I can be) and I have given information to several
families who made a choice to not circumcise their children. Of my
personal friends and family, I would guess that 90% of the boy children
are whole. It goes to show you aren’t going to have a freak-kid with
all his parts. <span class="emoticon emoticon_wink" title=";)"></span> He’ll just be one of the crowd.<br />
<br />I
will never regret my choice (like it was really mine to make!). We
went on to have BEAUTIFUL Babymoons (there was no blood, no wound care,
no crying from pain – for the babies, it was a different story for
Mama). We had amazing breastfeeding relationships right from the start.
I cannot imagine caring for a circumcision wound during those first
precious weeks. <br />
<br />I am forever thankful to my sisters in law who
spoke out against circumcision before we had children (even the sisters
with girls only are very vocal about the intact message). My three
sons will be forever grateful too.<br />I hope that our story encourages your family to consider intact-as-default as well! Many blessings!!!<br />
<br />
1. http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/fleiss.html<br />
2. http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/pregnancy-childbirth/whether-or-not-circumcise<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-64177795136771156052013-04-29T06:25:00.000-07:002013-06-18T16:24:02.458-07:00Margaret's Story-Circumcision and the Adopted ChildShortly after we adopted our barely 4 year old son from an Eastern
European country, we took him to a local pediatrician for an routine
examination. He had no medical needs at that time, but we wanted to get
familiar with the doctor. Our new son had already been examined by the
international adoption clinic at a major hospital, so we knew his
medical needs were met. <br />
<br />
The doctor examined our son quickly and asked us if we'd thought about
circumcision. Yes, I told him, and we were not interested. The doctor
quickly explained the reasons for why we might want to have it done,
including "increased risk of infections". "We haven't dealt with
infections yet, and if they become a problem, perhaps we'll consider
it", I told him. Then he told me that "it would be best done before
kindergarten" and when I dismissed that as well, he quickly gave me a
patronizing nod before leaving the room. <br />
<br />
I had not even researched circumcision that that point.<b> I knew that most
of Europe no longer practices routine infant circumcision, including my
child's native country, and that was enough for me. </b>It did not seem
like a fair choice for me to make for my child at 4 years old. A child I
barely knew at that point. I was shocked that our doctor would advise
an unneccesary cosmetic procedure on a young child, who had recently
been through the trauma of international adoption. He barely spoke any
English at this point, and our doctor was advocating that he go under
anesthesia to be surgically altered. I will absolutely seek necessary
medical care for my child, but I do not believe it is my business to
make cosmetic decisions about his penis.<br />
<br />
My son is now 6 years old. We now have 2 intact adopted sons and
have never had a single infection or problem with either of their
genitals. Now that I know more about circumcision, I am very glad I
followed my gut and completely ignored the doctor's advice. <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-29327298028237887962013-04-15T13:37:00.000-07:002013-06-28T15:44:49.702-07:00Dangers of circumcisionCircumcision is often lauded as no big deal.<br />
<br />
I have strong, strong feelings about the subject of risks and side affects of circumcision surgery.<br />
<br />
When I signed for my sons to be circumcised, a piece of paper was shoved under my nose (once weeks before delivery, when I didn't even know I was having a boy, and once while in heavy labor), and the blank where I was to sign was pointed at. No one explained the procedure to me, or went over the risks. No one encouraged me to read the statement. No one told me that it was not necessary (that is, until I decided not to do it).<br />
<br />
This makes me so, so angry. With most other procedures, and medications, we are told about all the possible risks. A doctor should have taken the time to come in and discuss this with me. With many other procedures that my children have had, someone has explained what was happening, the pros and cons, the risks, and made sure we were fully informed. That was not the case for me when we circumcised our sons.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lFEMhLro3r0/UWxj1wKg4yI/AAAAAAAAADQ/aAGzda3dadA/s1600/circ.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lFEMhLro3r0/UWxj1wKg4yI/AAAAAAAAADQ/aAGzda3dadA/s1600/circ.jpeg" /></a>Now, let me be clear. <b>I </b>should have researched it.<b> I</b> should have read every word. <b> I</b> should have considered every possible risk. I<b> take responsibility for the fact that I allowed a surgery, with risk, to be performed on my sons without really thinking or studying for myself because I just was going with the perceived cultural "norm", and did not even take time to consider or study the matter for myself.</b> However, I DO believe that medical personnel, as the ones who are performing the surgery, have an ethical duty and obligation to explain procedures and all the risks involved. That was not done, and that grieves me.<br />
<br />
(If you are unfamiliar with the picture to the right, this is the restraint that newborn babies are placed in while their circumcision surgery is performed, and then strapped down, awake, oftentimes with no anesthesia)<br />
<br />
There are many possible side effects and problems that can occur as a result of this surgery. I know many will say that there are side effects or risks of many things, and that is true. However, the fact that circumcision is not NECESSARY means that these risks are being taken for no reason, other than a cosmetic one. Is it really worth it? Had I known the risks that I was placing on my newborn, helpless sons, I would NOT have felt it worth it, for a cosmetic procedure. <br />
<br />
The first, and most disturbing risk is death. In the United States, over 100 baby boys die each year from side effects of their circumcision surgery. Hospital reported deaths due to circumcision are 174, for the latest reported year. The estimated actual number is higher than that. (2) To put this in perspective, over the span of a decade, around 30 children died in drop side cribs, and those have been BANNED in the United States. (1) It only takes 1 ounce of blood loss for a baby to begin to hemorrhage. ONE. OUNCE. Anytime a baby is subjected to a surgery, death is a definite risk. (2)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.savingsons.org/2013/06/healthy-newborn-dies-post-circumcision.html">Healthy Newborn Dies Post Circumcision</a><br />
<br />
I will include at the end here a comprehensive, suggested informed consent form. First, I'd like to give examples of some less extensive consent forms, and highlight some of the risks.<br />
<br />
From a consent form from a Virginia practice:(3)<br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1366031366184_10924"></span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1366031366184_10917" style="font-weight: bold;">"These
risks, which can be serious, include bleeding, infection, and damage to
nearby tissues, vessels, nerves, or organs. They may result in
paralysis, cardiac arrest, brain damage, and/or death. Other risks for
this procedure may include:bleeding, infection, possible deformity, or</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1366031366184_10926" style="font-weight: bold;">need for further surgery"</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
From a consent form from Brisbane: (4)<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span>I understand that circumcision for an infant is not a medical procedure.
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1366031366184_10929" style="font-weight: bold;">Except for extreme abnormalities, there is no medical reason for
circumcision".</span><br />
<br />
A Florida practice (5):<br />
"Risks Discussed: Potential for<b> bleeding, infection, malformation,
need for re-circumcision</b>.... The
chance of failure, and the <b>risks of unplanned injuries to organs,
nerves or blood vessels, to include inadvertent puncture, laceration, a
tearing of other internal organs and consequent hemorrhage </b>and need for
additional surgery to repair."<br />
<br />
To outline some of the other side effects in detail, I will quote below from Dr. R.S. Van Howe, M.D. It is his belief that if circumcision is going to be offered to parents, than a full informed consent form should be offered and explained, in order that parents have full and complete understanding of what they are doing. This should be the absolute MINIMUM of ethical care in the United States-that we have full informed consent of the procedures we are choosing for ourselves or our children. The consent form is very long. I will quote part, and include the link to the remainder.(6)<br />
<br />
In closing, <b>This simply should not be happening.</b> Thankfully, the worldwide circumcision rate is low-80% of men worldwide are intact. The circumcision rate is falling in the United States as well. Over 50% of boys born now are left intact. That is a GOOD THING, and I am so thankful. But it is still too many. One baby dying, or losing the function of his body, for an unnecessary surgery is too many. <br />
<br />
From an Informed Consent for Circumcision form, by R.S. Van Howe, M.D. <br />
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1366031366184_10900" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1366031366184_10901"><br />"Male
circumcision is a surgical procedure where 25%-50% of the skin of the
penis is removed. It is important that you understand the
well-established known risks of the surgical procedure as well as the
possible, but unproven benefits.<br /><br />The following risks are
iatrogenic (doctor caused) and result directly from neonatal
circumcision surgery. Significant complications from neonatal
circumcision surgery range from 2%-10%<br /><br />1. <b>Hemorrhage </b>(bleeding): Serious hemorrhage occurs in about 2% of
infants, resulting in shock and sometimes death. While death is a rare complication of circumcision, it does occur......<br /><br />2.<b>
Infections</b>: Localized or systemic infections include bacteremia,
spticemia, meningitis, osteomyelitis, lung abscess, diphtheria,
tuberculosis, scalded skin syndrome, gangrene of the penis and scrotum,
scrotal abscess, impetigo, necrotizing fascitis of the abdominal wall,
tetanus, and necrosis of the perineum. A realistic infection rate is
as high as 10%. Serious infections can cause irreparable and lifelong
harm.<br /><br />3. <b>Urinary Retnetion</b>: ....can cause the infant to retain
urine, leading, at times, to acute obstructive uropathy when the bladder
distends to the point of rupture<br /><br />4. <b>Laceration of penile skin</b>....<br /><br />5.
<b>Excessive penile skin loss</b>: ...penile bowing and pain occurs at the
time of erection. Pubic hair can be pulled forward onto the penile
shaft, and bleeding during sex can occur from shaft
skin tears. Skin grafts are sometimes required.<br /><br />6. <b>Beveling
deformities of the glans</b>...: Varying amounts of the glans are shaved
off...at times the entire glans may be amputated.<br /><br />7. <b>Hypospadias</b>:
....when the frenular area is drawn too far forward, the crushing bell
may injure the urethra at the time the foreskin is removed, resulting in
a urethral opening on the underside of the shaft.<br /><br />8. <b>Epispadias:</b>
When one limb of the clamp inadvertently is passed into the urethra and
is closed, it may crush the upper portion of the urethra and glans,
creating a urethral opening on the dorsum (top) of the glans.<br /><br />9.
<b>Retention of the Plastibell ring:</b> The Plastibell may become buried under
the skin causing ulceration...Loss of the glans has been reported.<br /><br />10. <b>Chordee</b> (permanent bowing of the penis)....<br /><br />11. <b>Keloid formation</b>: Prominent scars can occur where the skin-mucous membrane has been incised...<br /><br />12. <b>Lymphedema:</b>
Chronic swelling of the glans due to infection or surgical trauma<br /><br />13.
<b>Concealed penis</b>: The circumcised penis becomes hidden in the fat pad of
the pubic area, requiring surgery to bring the penis out again.<br /><br />14.
<b> Skin bridges and penile adhesions</b>: A common complication consisting
of one or more thick areas of scar tissue. These can be quite painful
during erection."</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;">15. </span>Phimosis of remaining foreskin:</b> When only a segment of the foreskin is removed, the remaining tip
sometimes becomes tight and non-retractable, requiring a second surgery.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;">1<b>6. </b></span><b>Preputial cysts: </b>Cysts caused by infection or mechanical distortion blocking the sebaceous glands.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"><b>17.</b></span><b>Skin tags</b>: Can occur at the circumcision line, representing an uneven removal of skin.<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"> </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;">18.</span>Loss of part or all of the penis:</b> This can be caused by constricting rings, such as the Plastibell, or
by use of an electrocautery device. More frequently, the loss is the result of infection, with the penis
becoming increasingly necrotic (dead tissue) until finally the entire organ falls off. The proposed
solution in many cases is to raise the child as a girl.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;">19. </span>Meatitis: </b>Inflammation of the urethral opening from the loss of protective foreskin, which can lead to
ulceration and meatal stenosis (narrowing). Many infants and children suffer this after their loss of
protective foreskin.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;">20. </span>Meatal ulceration: </b>Caused by meatitis and/or abrasions from dry diapers and from diapers soiled with
urine and feces. Meatal ulceration does not occur in the intact male and occurs in up to 50% of
circumcised infants.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;">21. </span>Meatal stenosis:</b> In advanced meatal ulceration, scar tissue can constrict the urethral opening causing
urinary obstruction. Meatal stenosis is usually not apparent for several years, occurring in about
one-third of all circumcised infants and not at all in intact males.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;">22. </span><b>Progressive loss of glans sensitivity: </b>This is the most common complaint of adult circumcised men,
whereby some men report stimulated needed to the point of pain to achieve orgasm.<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;">23.</span><b>Sexual dysfunction</b>: Includes impotence and premature ejaculation.<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;">24. </span><b>Nonspecific urethritis:</b> This venereal disease is more common in circumcised adults.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;">25. </span><b>Gastric rupture</b>: Has been reported associated with prolonged crying during circumcision.<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"></span><br />
<br />
26.<b> Glans necrosis:</b> The head of the penis can lose its blood supply and begin to rot from the scarring that
follows circumcision.<br />
<br />
27. <b>Tachycardia, heart failure and myocardial injury: </b>Have been reported associated with the procedure.<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"></span><br />
<br />
28.<b> Death:</b> Occurs at a rate of 1 in 5,000.
<br />
(end quote)<br />
<br />
<br />
1. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/40678788/ns/health-childrens_health/t/after-dozens-deaths-drop-side-cribs-outlawed/#.UWxYhEqmVDE<br />
2. http://www.drmomma.org/2010/05/death-from-circumcision.html<br />
3. <span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1366031366184_10924">http://www.virginia.edu/uvaprint/HSC/pdf/040162.pdf </span><br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1366031366184_10924">4. </span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1366031366184_10925">http://circumcisionbrisbane.wordpress.com/consent-form/</span><br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1366031366184_10925">5. </span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1366031366184_10929" style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>http://www.helgemopediatrics.com/index.php?option=com_chronocontact&Itemid=46<br />
6. http://www.nocirc.org/consent/form.php<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-39210617008813431532013-04-11T18:30:00.000-07:002013-06-18T16:24:19.816-07:00Kelly's Story: I Changed My Mind<div style="text-align: center;">
Kelly is the mom of three sons, one circumcised, and two intact. I so appreciate her being willing to share her story here.<br />
<br />
<b><u> </u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u> Circumcision: I Changed My Mind</u></b> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Kelly McLane</div>
<br />
When I was preparing for the birth of my first child, there was only one
thing I knew I did not want - an episiotomy. I wanted to try to give
birth without drugs but I was open to an epidural if needed. I wanted
to try laboring in water. I wanted to try breastfeeding but wasn't sure
if it would work for me. So when it came time to push and I heard my
midwife say, "Let's try a couple more pushes and then we might have to
CUT..." I gathered up every bit of strength I had and pushed my baby out
even though I couldn't feel anything because I had an epidural. I knew
I did NOT want her to cut me down there. It seems ironic now that
shortly after birth, I handed my baby boy over to be circumcised.<br />
<br />
Before I get started, I want to emphasize that I am not writing this
with the intent of making any parent feel bad or guilty about their
decision to circumcise a son - what's done is done. I have friends and
family that chose circumcision and I do not judge their decision, we all
do the best we can with the information we have at the time. I am a
very proud mama of three amazing boys - my first son was circumcised but
the next two boys were not. I am sharing my story with compassion and
hope for all the baby boys not yet born, that maybe by sharing my story,
I can save *<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/you-made-difference-for-that-one.html">just one</a>*
baby from the unnecessary pain and harm of this procedure. I recognize
that this is a very controversial, extremely sensitive, and culturally
taboo subject but I have learned that, for most people, the more a
person knows about circumcision, the more they are against it and I will
always wish that I had been <a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/are-you-fully-informed.html">better informed</a> before I had my first baby boy.<br />
<br />
I was <a href="http://www.catholicsagainstcircumcision.org/">raised Catholic</a>
in North Dakota with two sisters and no brothers. I do not remember
ever seeing my father naked so I honestly do not know whether he was
circumcised or not. I would guess yes because he was born in the 50s
when many baby boys were circumcised, often without consent from their
parents. The topic of circumcision never came up in my family. To tell
you the truth, I naively assumed a circumcised penis was the way boys
were born. With that assumption I can't say for certain if any of my
sexual partners were circumcised or not because up until I found out I
was pregnant with a baby boy I really had no clue about normal male
anatomy. <br />
<br />
In 2004 I was pregnant, and we found out our baby was a BOY! The
decision to circumcise or not came up right away. I did all the
research and came to the conclusion that I did <b>not</b> want to
circumcise our son. I believe at that time I likely found out more than
the average U.S. parent discovers. I learned that circumcision is painful,
harmful, and medically unnecessary. I learned that no medical
organization in the world recommends routine infant circumcision, not
even the American Academy of Pediatrics. I learned what the procedure entails and I watched a video
and had to mute the sound, no way did I want my baby to go through
that. I shared what I had learned with my husband hoping he would agree
with me.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, he did not. It wasn't even a decision for him, it was
going to be done no matter what I said. We argued. I shared the
information with him, I showed him the video, but his mind was already
made up. It was closed actually. For him, it was a simple procedure
that newborn boys went through, much like cutting the umbilical cord.
Until then, he had not given much thought to being circumcised as a
baby, but felt that he was just fine the way he was,
so his son would be too. In the end, I foolishly gave in. I didn't
protect my baby even though my maternal instinct screamed to do so. I
let my husband choose circumcision for our son because he has a
circumcised penis and I don't. <br />
<br />
However, I had to justify this decision in some way - I couldn't just
let it happen knowing what I knew. I didn't care about percentages,
I've never really been one to do what everybody else was doing. And at
that time the circumcision rate in the U.S. was about 50% - so half were
keeping their sons intact, and half weren't. Even though some people
claim a circumcised penis "looks better" that didn't make sense to me. How could I possibly think my <a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/12/foreskin-its-not-icky.html">baby's body</a> was ugly or defective?! I am not a religious person and even though my husband is Jewish we do not practice Judaism so there was no religious reason. So I grabbed onto the one study that
claimed circumcised babies have a slightly lower chance of <a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/12/how-foreskin-protects-against-uti.html">urinary tract infections</a>.
My husband has a kidney disease that has a 50% chance of being passed
down. Bingo. We circumcised our baby because IF he has this kidney
disease, then we should do whatever we can to reduce the chance of a
urinary tract infection which could potentially harm the kidneys. That
was my reason, <i>my excuse</i>. I insisted that if we were going to
circumcise our baby, my husband had to go with him. I did not want him
to go through it alone. I was really hoping that this would change his
mind, but nope, still just a simple procedure in his eyes. Going with
our son actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise later on...<br />
<br />
Our perfect and healthy little baby boy was born into this world on
April 21st. For some reason, the pediatrician we had chosen wasn't
called while I was in labor, so she didn't show up at the hospital until
the next day as we were checking out. "What about the circumcision?" my
husband asked. "Oh, we'll do it in the office next week," she said,
"Call and make an appointment." I said I was worried about the
procedure and she blew me off saying it's no big deal - that I shouldn't
worry about it. She also said she was "pro-circ and thinks it should
be done." We scheduled the appointment for April 30th. Even though I
wish so many times that during that week I had changed my mind, put my
foot down, and protected his tiny perfect body, I didn't. The decision
had already been made.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
So we took him in. My husband went back with him. It seemed to take
forever and a nurse came out at one point. She was laughing the whole
thing off and mentioned that I looked "terrified." "Yes, I AM
terrified!" I thought, "You people are back there forcefully separating,
cutting, and removing a part of my baby's body and it is taking
for-freakin-ever!" <br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YMVjn0I0-HE/UWdkFnsNZII/AAAAAAAAADA/N2Lco0On9ss/s1600/Sorry.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YMVjn0I0-HE/UWdkFnsNZII/AAAAAAAAADA/N2Lco0On9ss/s1600/Sorry.jpeg" /></a>They finally brought him out and the doctor informed me that my baby
needed a couple stitches, no big deal. I wanted to throw up. My tiny
little baby, his perfectly normal body,
had stitches in his penis. How could I have
let this happen and for what reason?! I really, honestly, don't think I
will ever forgive myself for letting this happen to him.<i> I knew better.</i> But it did happen and I couldn't change that and so for weeks
afterward at every diaper change I fought back tears and apologized to
my baby as I gently pulled back and detached the remaining skin that was
obviously trying to heal itself and re-cover the glans that, by nature,
is designed to be covered.<br />
<br />
In 2005 I became pregnant again and we didn't find out the sex this
time. The babies would be 16 months apart. At first, my husband was
very adamant that if baby #2 was a boy, he would also be circumcised.
"They have to match, they have to be the same," he said. I prayed to
the universe for a girl, even though I had a good feeling it was another
boy. This time though, I was NOT going to give in. Two wrongs do not
make a right. Maya Angelou said "When you know better, you do better,"
and even though I knew in my heart the first time, I wasn't going to
make the same mistake twice. I wasn't going to let another baby of mine
get stitches in his penis for no reason. I also learned more about the foreskin and
what is lost when it is removed and how important and valuable this
part of the male genitals is during infancy, childhood, and throughout a man's life.
So I told my husband that if he really wanted it done, he would need
to call the doctor, make the appointment, and take him in to have it
done. Knowing his inability to do these sorts of things (ha!), I felt
relieved inside. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mLxRXnIX0CA/TpE_NeXefxI/AAAAAAAACGw/JTYB4b5lmLI/s1600/September+2005+046+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Thankfully, throughout the pregnancy, and as my husband slowly processed
his own experience with our first son's circumcision, he was able to
see circumcision from a different perspective. I made him tell me what
had happened during our son's surgery, even though I didn't want to
know. <i>I had to know</i>. We both ended up in tears.<br />
<br />
I continued to share facts and information, but this time, we didn't
argue about it, it was kind of a non-issue because we didn't know if we
were having a boy or girl. Believe it or not, what really sealed the
deal for him was watching a Penn and Teller episode on circumcision. What really stood out for him was the <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/peacefparent-20/detail/0195315944">historical reason</a>
Americans started practicing non-religious genital cutting in the first
place. If you don't know, you should definitely find out before making
this decision, because it really is bull. [Hint: Google Kellogg and
Graham.]<br />
<br />
Our second baby, another boy, was born peacefully and naturally at home
in the tub. No appointment was made and he was left whole just as nature intended.
I remember asking my husband, "What about circumcision?" He said after
having an amazing homebirth, he saw no reason to take our healthy and
perfectly normal baby to the doctor to have a part of his body cut off.
I will admit, I was a little nervous about <a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/06/how-to-care-for-intact-penis-protect.html">taking care of an intact baby</a> because I had zero experience with normal male genitals. <b>But as it turns out, it is MUCH easier than taking care of a circumcised baby.</b> I currently have 10+ years of mothering two intact sons (baby #3 was born in 2007 - another boy!) and ZERO <a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/12/how-foreskin-protects-against-uti.html">urinary tract infections</a>.
One time, son #2 was playing outside naked and got poked in the penis
by a really nasty weed in the yard. His foreskin swelled up and it was a
little scary but his foreskin did its job and protected the very
sensitive glans (head) of the penis. If his foreskin had not been
there, the glans most likely would have swelled up and prevented him
from peeing normally. Hooray for nature and a normal body!<br />
<br />
So, this is my story. I've experienced both sides of this parenting
coin. The heartache and guilt I've felt following my son's circumcision
led me to be a voice for baby boys who cannot say NO for themselves. I
firmly believe ALL human beings, <b>girls and boys</b>, have a right to
their normal, intact genitals. Should an adult man or woman choose
circumcision for themselves, as an informed, consenting person - fine by
me. But routine infant circumcision is not a compassionate thing to do
to a little newborn baby - it hurts, it harms, and there is no good reason to do it. <b>The foreskin is a very important part of penis!</b> It's his body, it's his penis, and it should be his choice whether or not he wants his full penis - foreskin and all.<br />
<br />
A shocking number of doctors in this country have very little knowledge
of normal male anatomy. They do not understand the value and functions
of the foreskin, they are only taught to amputate it. Our doctor did
not give us accurate information, she was completely biased, and we did
not give <i>informed</i> consent as we should have been able to do.
Let's make sure our physicians receive feedback, and are encouraged to
look into this subject more themselves - for the sake of their future
patients.<br />
<br />
I do not blame the doctor in our case, she only did what she knew. Nor
do I blame my husband as he is a victim of circumcision himself. I can
only blame myself for not listening to my mama instinct. And I blame our
culture for desensitizing us to male genital cutting and allowing it to
continue for so long when other English speaking nations abandoned the
practice long ago, or never even started cutting babies to begin with.<br />
<br />
The good news is we are well on our way to becoming a non-cutting
country, like the majority of civilized nations around the world. The
infant circumcision rate in the U.S. has <a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/08/us-circumcision-rate-falls-to-33.html">dropped to under 35%</a> in recent years, and will only go down from here as more parents learn the truth.<br />
<br />
In the future, I will be honest with my circumcised son about what
happened to him and make sure that no future grandsons of mine are cut.
My husband and I are proud that we protected our 2nd and 3rd sons'
autonomy and genital integrity, and once and for all ended the cycle of
genital cutting in our family.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Kelly originally shared her story here: </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RrDO0JkQUNQ/TpE_LzBY-LI/AAAAAAAACGs/7W7qjCdyA8g/s1600/July+2007+098+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> http://www.drmomma.org/2011/10/circumcision-i-changed-my-mind.html </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Re-shared with edits with permission </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-92166025839349272242013-04-04T11:38:00.005-07:002013-07-02T06:11:49.211-07:00I don't Know Why I was Circumcised: Chad J's StoryChad is a friend, and a father of several. Thank you Chad for sharing your story! (*Note-the first link provides an side view anatomy drawing as seen in a text book.)<br />
<br />
"I don't know why I was circumcised. I have never asked my parents. I was their first child and I don't know if they thought about the matter or if they made a spur of the moment decision. Since they never mentioned it to me I tend to think it was the latter.<br />
<br />
Truthfully I never thought about it until we were going to have our first son. The thought surprised me because until then I didn't even know what a foreskin was except that it had been removed from me. I thought of it like an appendix--an unneeded, unwanted flap of skin that served no purpose. I was wrong.<br />
<br />
I don't remember who told us to think about circumcision before we had our son. If our first child had been a boy I doubt we would have thought about it until after the doctor had routinely performed the procedure. I remember my wife saying, 'hey, I don't think we should circumcise.' I remember saying, 'Ummm why? It's not like he needs a foreskin right?...' and then thinking, 'Wait what does an uncircumcised penis even look like?' I felt embarrassed that I didn't know the answer to that question. Obviously I had never seen my own foreskin, but shouldn't I have seen a <a href="http://www.healthac.org/male.html">diagram</a> or picture in some anatomy or sex education class in grade school? I remember sitting through those uncomfortable class periods with diagrams of a penis that everyone was pretending not to look at. The fact is that circumcision was and is such a ubiquitous surgery that none of the authors of our class materials felt that it was worth showing a foreskin. I can only imagine how this made the uncircumcised boys in my school feel (assuming there were any, as of course I would not know). I don't know how this has changed over the years, or how it varies in different parts of the US but I'm fairly certain that class materials outside the US all show intact men.<br />
<br />
So I started looking into it with my wife. The more I read about it the more I realized that I kind of WANTED a foreskin. I couldn't think of a good reason to cut it off of our son so I looked for one. I mean, my parents had decided to have mine removed so there must be a good reason, right?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IHxVCC1Za9w/UVr3xu27_gI/AAAAAAAAACs/75qatvSDeEc/s1600/didn%27t-need-circ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IHxVCC1Za9w/UVr3xu27_gI/AAAAAAAAACs/75qatvSDeEc/s1600/didn't-need-circ.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I'm not going to go over the reasons that people use to rationalize this amputation because <a href="http://www.divinecaroline.com/life-etc/put-down-knife-eleven-reasons-not-circumcise">it</a> <a href="http://www.nocirc.org/position/bma.php">has</a> <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/adrianwarnock/2008/12/should-christians-circumcise-their-sons/">been</a> done <a href="http://jennifermargulis.net/blog/2012/09/12-reasons-why-the-aap-is-right-and-you-should-circumcise-your-infant-son/">before</a>. As I continued researching I found myself really trying to find a way that I could get my foreskin back! But no, I cannot. Perhaps there are uncircumcised adults who wish they could remove their foreskin (I cannot fathom this). Guess what? <a href="http://www.circumcision.org/adults.htm">They can</a>, and under general anesthesia if desired! When it is desired, circumcision is available for adults just like any other cosmetic surgery.<br />
<br />
For me the main thing I needed to know was that my son didn't NEED a circumcision. True, he may not NEED a foreskin either (although circumcisions can have major problems!) but who was I to decide that he shouldn't have one? Is there any other part of his body that I could legally remove? Removing the entire foreskin is a dramatic surgery, not a simple nick of the scalpel. It irrevocably <a href="http://www.circinfo.org/Warren.html">changes the size and shape</a> of your penis.<br />
<br />
I wish I could say these things to all parents before their children are born. I wish it would be enough to make them take the time to research the issue and make the right decision. I wish that doctors would read this, <a href="http://www.cirp.org/library/general/wallerstein/">think critically</a>, and realize that largely they are the ones with the power over this issue. After all they hold the knives! It would be enough to reverse the trend if doctors would offer to perform circumcisions only when requested, instead of assuming that parents will want it."<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-77956950643074281182013-04-02T07:45:00.002-07:002013-04-02T13:34:03.741-07:00Assumed Medical Benefits of Circumcision<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266">As
I stated I would, I have taken some time to gather some information for
you regarding the supposed "health benefits" of routine infant circumcision. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7lqOsP5UyHA/UVrp3SABSII/AAAAAAAAACc/FJxooayR_A0/s1600/baby.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7lqOsP5UyHA/UVrp3SABSII/AAAAAAAAACc/FJxooayR_A0/s400/baby.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266">One thing to consider, is
that there can be some benefits to something, but an important factor to
consider is this: do the reported or hoped for benefits justify the
risks. In another post, I will outline the risks. First and foremost to consider is death. <b> Over 100 baby boys die each year from complications of their unnecessary circumcision surgery. </b> This is more baby boys in the initial 6 week newborn period than die from SIDS. <br /><br />The <span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12265" style="font-weight: bold;">
</span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12265"> American Academy of Pediatrics admits that “Existing scientific
evidence demonstrates potential benefits of newborn male circumcision;
however, these data are not sufficient to recommend routine neonatal
circumcision”</span><br /><br />One helpful informational source that outlines a number of these issues is a presentation
by <span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12563">Ryan McCallister, PhD, a research professor in the areas of oncology and Physics at Georgetown University.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266">The entire presentation is available for viewing here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ceht-3xu84I. </span><br />
<br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266">As a warning, there are some
slides on this educational presentation (given in a college seminar
class) that include medical pictures of the male genitalia. A video of an infant circumcision is also shown. The professor gives warning before any of these slides, so that viewers may choose to turn their heads if desired.</span><br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266"><br /></span>
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266">The following are the most used "medical reasons" that parents believe are prevented by circumcision. </span><br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266"></span><br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266"></span><br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266"><br /><u><b>1. Urinary Tract Infection</b></u></span><br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />This is from the <span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12564">American Academy of Family Physicians regarding Urinary Tract Infections in Children (2011)</span>: (1) </span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266"><br /><br />"Acute UTIs are relatively common in children. By seven years of age, 8 percent of girls
and 2 percent of boys will have at least one episode."<br /><br />"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Routine circumcision in boys does not reduce the risk of UTI enough to justify the risk of surgical complications</span>"<br /><br />"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Boys are at increased risk of UTI if younger than six months, or if younger than 12 months and uncircumcised</span>.
Girls are generally at an increased risk of UTI, particularly if
younger than one year." </span><br />
<br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266">The above quote is of note, as it shows that <span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;">A</span> boy being left intact is only at increased risk of UTI (over the
circumcised boy) from the ages of 6 months to 1 year. Otherwise, the
risks of developing a UTI are the same for a circumcised or intact boy</span><span style="font-size: large;">.</span><br /><br />Yes,
UTI's do happen in children. However, for girls, the treatment is
antibiotics, not the removal of body parts. The removal of the female labia could actually reduce the number of UTI's in women and girls. UTI's occur because of bacteria being introduced to the genitals. Typically, the bacteria is from the rectal area. Removal of the labia would reduce the risks of UTI's, as the labia can catch and hold bacteria. Obviously, this would be an over the top (and illegal) way to prevent a relatively minor health concern.</span><br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266"><br /></span>
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266">For males, a UTI, in an
intact boy, or a circumcised boy,
antibiotics are completely appropriate treatment. Surgery for a UTI,
or for the prevention of a UTI is not necessary. <br /><br />A study done in the UK in 2005, states the following: (2) </span><br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266"><br />"Singh-Grewal et al concluded that <span style="font-weight: bold;">111 circumcisions would be required to prevent one UTI,</span>... <span style="font-weight: bold;">It is doubtful that a cost–benefit analysis could ever justify routine circumcision under those circumstances."</span></span><br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br /><u><b>2. Cervical Cancer:</b></u><br />A position statement by the National Organizations of Circumcision Information and Resource Centers, and Doctors Opposing Circumcision
clearly and thoroughly outlines the history, studies, flaws with
studies, new findings, updated information regarding HPV and cervical
cancer, and health measures to treat and prevent cervical cancer. The
statement is highly referenced, and cross referenced. (3) </span><br />
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<br />
To quote the study, Male Circumcision and Cervical Cancer (2010):<br />
<br />
"Male
circumcision does not insure protection from HPV infection. The
possible reduction in risk is slight at best. Along with education, and
the introduction of HPV testing, the best hope of bringing cervical
cancer under control may be introduction
of a vaccine. HPV vaccine is now in stage 3 trials"<b> *</b>note, the vaccine is now available and part of the CDC recommended vaccines for all children*<br />
<br />
Cervical
Cancer is most often caused by HPV, which is a sexually transmitted disease. The
Center for Disease Control provides information about HPV, cervical
cancer, and the vaccine (4)</div>
<br />
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566">From
that information, it is notable that more than half of
sexually active men and women are infected with HPV at some time in
their life. This is with the fact that currently, the majority of adult
American men are circumcised. Circumcision is NOT preventing HPV or
cervical cancer. <span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12569">The CDC materials promoting the Gardasil vaccine do NOT mention circumcision as a preventative for HPV or cervical cancer. </span><br /><br />Also noted, is that "<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12568">Condoms
may lower the risk of HPV infection....But HPV can infect areas that
are not covered by a condom-so condoms may not fully protect against
HPV. People can also lower the risk of HPV by being in a faithful
relationship with one partner; limiting their number of sex partners
and being with a partner who has no or few prior sex partners". If HPV can be caught from areas not covered by a condom, this eliminates the foreskin as the biggest problem, as it would be covered by a condom.</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12568" style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566" style="font-size: small;">The
best prevention for sexually transmitted disease is to minimize
sexual partners, and to use protection with sexual partners. Even a
circumcised man can and does spread sexually transmitted disease, and
the United States, while having one of the highest circumcision rates
also has one of the highest Sexually Transmitted Disease rates in the first world.
Circumcision as a means to reduce STD's is clearly not working.
Abstinence, monogamy and condom use outside of monogamy are the best ways to reduce the spread of STD's.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566"><br />On the medical front, however, there is now a vaccine (Gardasil) that prevents HPV in both males and females. <span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12567">If
you are interested in promoting the avoidance of STD's, I would suggest that monogamy, limited sexual partners, and condom use outside of monogamy would, as always, be good choices. Researching and considering the Gardasil vaccine also is an option. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12567">If your son was circumcised, would you tell him to have unprotected sex with partners who are known to have HPV or HIV? Or who might have HPV or HIV? Of course not. Everyone knows that being circumcised does not make one safe from sexually transmitted disease.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12567" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Circumcision is NOT STD prevention. Circumcised men are spreading STD's at an alarming rate in the United States. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">3.Penile Cancer</span>:</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566">Penile Cancer affects less than 1% of men in the United States. <br /><br /><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12570">The
American Cancer Society has this to say about preventing penile cancer
(last revised
1/17/2013): (5)</span></span><br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12570" style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />"In the past, circumcision has been suggested as a way to prevent penile cancer.
This was based on studies that reported lower penile cancer rates among
circumcised men than among uncircumcised men. But in many of those
studies, the protective effect of circumcision was no longer seen after
factors like smegma and phimosis were taken into account. Most
public health researchers believe that the risk of penile cancer is low
among uncircumcised men without risk factors living in the United
States. Men who wish to
lower their risk of penile cancer can do so by avoiding HPV infection and not smoking. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;">Those
who aren't circumcised can also lower their risk by practicing good
hygiene. Most experts agree that circumcision should <u>not </u>be recommended
solely as a way to prevent penile cancer. The most important factor in
preventing penile cancer is good genital hygiene</span>. </span>"</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
</div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566">Seems simple enough. Wash the body. </span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
</div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566"></span><br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566">As a
thought, I encourage you to consider, would you recommend that all baby
girls have their breast buds removed at birth? Breast Cancer affects and
kills many more women in the United States than penile cancer affects
men, yet we do not remove healthy tissue from baby girls in order to
prevent the possibility of Breast Cancer. <br /><br /><u><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Bacteria</span></u>:
The foreskin is fused to the glans of an infant, and it helps to
prevent foreign bodies from entering the body through the urethra, which
is an entry point to the
body. As the child ages, and naturally retracts, the child can be
taught to wash his penis, including under his foreskin. All body parts
can become infected, or grow bad bacteria. Ears, throats, skin, female
genitalia, male genitalia, rectums, eyes, mouths, teeth, breasts, etc.
etc. Some of these parts are necessary for survival, some are not.
However, none of them (including the male genitalia, or parts thereof) are recommended to be routinely removed from
infants due to the fact that they could one day contain bacteria.
Teaching boys proper hygiene is preferable to removing a healthy and functional part of their body.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566"> I do want to mention, again, that <b>washing under the foreskin is not necessary and SHOULD NOT be attempted until the boy retracts on his own, which typically happens during puberty if not before. The premature retraction of the foreskin causes pain as well as medical problems.</b></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
</div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566">Studies Referenced:</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566">1. </span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266">http://www.aafp.org/afp/2011/0215/p409.html#afp20110215p409-b32</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266">2. </span></span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266">http://adc.bmj.com/content/90/8/773.full</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566">3. </span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266">http://www.drmomma.org/2010/04/male-circumcision-cervical-cancer.html</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12266">4. </span>http://www.cdc.gov/hpv/prevention.html</div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
5. <span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12566"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12570">http://www.cancer.org/cancer/penilecancer/detailedguide/penile-cancer-prevention</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1364906786034_12565" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<br />
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-36349109426597649362013-03-31T16:49:00.000-07:002013-06-19T19:34:36.938-07:00Easter: The Christian and circumcisonI can't say it much better than my friends over at the Whole Christian Network.<br />
<br />
"<span class="userContent">Jesus died and rose again, making all the old blood covenants void and unnecessary. Circumcision is not a Christian tradition."</span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">It's Easter Sunday, and I have been celebrating with my family for the past several days. I am so thankful for Jesus. For the fact that He came to this earth as a baby. That He lived among those He came to save. That He suffered death on a cross. That He died, and was buried. That He rose again on the third day. He did all of this for me.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">Ephesians 4:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."</span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">We are saved to a life with Christ, through faith in His death on the cross. This is what Easter is about! We serve a God who was willing to send His Son-Lay down His life for us, and say "It is FINISHED". </span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">Our salvation is through His blood-not our own. What a gift! The ultimate gift-His own life for ours. We will not eternally die, because of His death, and resurrection. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">To add anything to this truth found in Scripture is to cheapen the Gospel-and miss the entire point of Easter. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">Jesus' death on the cross finished the work. We do not need to add to it, or provide our own blood sacrifice.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3gGazFs4GY8/UVj1u8UWDII/AAAAAAAAAAs/trYF7tWcN1o/s1600/Cross.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3gGazFs4GY8/UVj1u8UWDII/AAAAAAAAAAs/trYF7tWcN1o/s400/Cross.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">In the Old Testament, as part of the Old Covenant, Jews were required to shed blood as part of their covenant with God. The blood shed occurred in two forms: animal sacrifice and circumcision. In the New Testament, with the death of Jesus Christ, HIS blood was shed as the ultimate sacrifice. Under the New Covenant, Christians no longer have any Biblical reason to circumcise, or offer animal sacrifices.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">Galatians 6:12-15 says:</span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">12: It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ</span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<b><span class="userContent">About this verse, The ESV John MacArthur study notes say, "The Judaizers were motivated by religious pride and wanted to impress others with their external piety. They were more concerned about their personal safety than correct doctrine. By adhering more to the Mosaic law (Law of Moses) than to the gospel of Jesus, they hoped to avoid social and financial ostracism from other Jews."</span></b><br />
<b><span class="userContent"><br /></span></b>
<b><span class="userContent">In other words, Paul, the writer of Galatians is calling out religious Jews who were circumcising as a way to keep the old law, and impress others with their religiosity.</span></b><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">The rest of the related passage says this,</span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">13: For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. </span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">14: But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.</span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">15: For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.</span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<br />
<span class="userContent">Galatians 2:3 says:</span><br />
<span class="userContent">3: But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek</span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"><b>"The Judaizers were teaching that there could be no salvation without circumcision. Paul and the apostles denied that and it was settled at the Jerusalem Council. As a true believer, Titus was living proof that circumcision and the Mosaic regulations were not prerequisites or necessary components of salvation. The apostles' refusal to require Titus's circumcision verified the church's rejection of the Judaizer's doctrine". John MacArthur ESV commentary notes</b> </span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">Acts 15 covers the Jerusalem Council. MacArthur's commentary description of this is as follows:</span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<b><span class="userContent">"Throughout history, the church's leaders have met to settle doctrinal issues. The most important council was the first one-the Jerusalem Council-because it established the answer to the most vital doctrinal question of all:</span></b><br />
<b><span class="userContent"><br /></span></b>
<b><span class="userContent">What must a person do to be saved?</span></b><br />
<b><span class="userContent"><br /></span></b>
<b><span class="userContent">The apostles and elders defied efforts to impose legalism and ritualism as necessary prerequists for salvation. They forever affirmed that salvation is totally by grace through faith in Christ alone." </span></b><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">Acts 15:7 shows Peter giving his speech, and explaining to the council how God saved Gentiles during the early days of his ministry and made no requirement that they be circumcised. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"> "<b>If God did not require any additional requirements for salvation, neither should the legalists" MacArthur commentary notes (ESV)</b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">There are many other examples, and I hope to continue to outline them in future posts. </span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">But for today, Christian, we are free! Christ's death on the cross provided all we need for salvation. After Jesus, those who preached circumcision were CONDEMNED by the apostles as well the early church. Circumcision is not a Christian tradition at all. Titus has his very own book in the Bible, and served God tremendously, and we are told plainly that he was not circumcised, and those who made an issue out of that were considered legalists. </span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">Rejoice in Christs ultimate sacrifice, and know that it is finished. There is nothing else to add to it, and routine infant circumcision is not part of God's plan for the New Testament church.</span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-61189827870196943382013-03-29T09:00:00.000-07:002013-07-14T19:20:39.606-07:00Rebecca's Story-A Biblical Journey to Intactivism<div dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.0016503230955884352" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I hope to, once a week, have a blog post from a friend. Today's post if from my friend Rebecca. She is awesome, and has 6 children-some boys, some girls, and all intact! She has been a great encouragement to me, in many different areas, and I hope you will read her story, in her words. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My Journey to Intactivism</span></u></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p9_nhUconx8/UVkM1HisjxI/AAAAAAAAACM/SB5NseDGHTs/s1600/Football.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p9_nhUconx8/UVkM1HisjxI/AAAAAAAAACM/SB5NseDGHTs/s400/Football.PNG" width="308" /></a></div>
<b><u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></u></b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When
we had our first son, we did not actually give a whole lot of thought
to circumcision. I researched what I could find out about it and what
stood out to me was: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Not Necessary</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.
That seemed simple enough to me! ‘Not necessary’ was pretty much all
the information I needed. It is primarily cosmetic. That also disturbed
me. Why should </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> have a say in how HIS genitals look? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" />I
shared with my husband that I’d found it was not necessary. Being the
awesome man he is, that was enough for him. Since then I have learned
that many fathers feel threatened or insecure at the idea of their son </span><a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/fatherson-matching-penises-stop.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">being different</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. To some men it may feel like an admission that something is somehow </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">wrong</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
with them and that idea is uncomfortable. I’m very blessed to have a man that does not
think this way. Neither of us wanted to do something to our son that
would cause physical pain and risk complications if it wasn’t medically
necessary. He agreed with me that if a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">surgery</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> is not necessary for our </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">newborn</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> then... </span><a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/cut-vs-intact-outcome-statistics.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">why would we DO that</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">!?</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We
had our first son and were very pleased to leave his little body as
perfect as he was born. We had no problems whatsoever and caring for him
was a breeze. There is absolutely nothing extra to do when they are
little because the little foreskin is literally fused with the glans of
the penis so it cannot (and should not) ever be pulled back for any
reason whatsoever. Cleaning it is as simple as washing his little hands!
</span><a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/only-clean-what-is-seen-reversing.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Only clean what is seen</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.
Nothing more. It naturally takes care of itself! God’s design is truly
perfect and works beautifully and easily! No disassembly required!!!!
Definitely no more complicated than bathing our daughters. Just sitting
him in the bath and letting him splash and kick (as you would allow any
baby!) was enough to keep him clean, healthy, and happy. And we avoided
having to care for a recovering newborn with an open, surgical
wound sitting in a diaper during those crucial first days!
Being a newborn is traumatic enough without having a surgery to deal with on top of everything else. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But
even at this time I thought circumcision was still a personal parental
decision for our babies. A few friends and family members said, “Well
hey - God required it of Abraham so it must not be bad. In fact, it may
be good! Why would God require it if it weren’t somehow beneficial?”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This argument seemed valid to me and I had no answer for it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After
thinking about it and seeing how normal and healthy my intact
little boy was it seemed more and more wrong that baby boys are often
routinely circumcised as newborns without much of a second thought. It
even seemed like a lot of people do it just because “it’s what you do!”
not knowing that there’s any other option! Why is the cutting of a
baby’s genitals not considered a bigger deal? Why is it so common and
accepted? In any other situation, it would be considered criminal. It
deeply disturbed me. The idea that God required circumcision as a sign
of the Covenant in the Old Testament continued to confuse me. The more I
knew about circumcision, the more I questioned why.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
started digging deeper. What was the deal with Biblical Circumcision in
the Old Testament. That’s when I learned an astounding truth. </span><a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/07/biblical-circumcision-information.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Biblical Circumcision is completely different from what modern circumcision is</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.
They are not even remotely comparable. The circumcision that God
ordained in the Old Testament as a sign of the covenant was quite simply
a “clip” of the skin meant to shed a few drops of blood as that sign of
the covenant. </span><a href="http://www.fisheaters.com/circumcision2.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Very little was actually removed</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.
It left the majority of the foreskin intact and fully functional.
Circumcision as it is done today was completely brought about by man.
Not God. Had it been done in Biblical times the way it is today, babies
would have died of blood loss and infection. They didn’t have the
surgical tools and clamps and medicines that have made modern
circumcision possible. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This should be common knowledge!</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To quote </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>my favorite article on the subject<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">: “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">God never ordained that the foreskin or any other part of the human body should be amputated (i.e. his creation destroyed),</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
unless it became diseased. Our modern invention of foreskin amputation
(modern circumcision) took place in Victorian times when several doctors
and psychiatrists came up with the idea in hopes of discouraging
self-stimulation. It didn't work, but the practice soon became ingrained
as ‘tradition.’ And there are few things so safely guarded as
tradition.”</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After
this discovery, I became so upset that such a tradition is so
misunderstood, falsely protected by “religion,” and still so common in
this day and age. Prior to this discovery I hesitated to compare male
circumcision to female circumcision. Prior to this discovery, I hesitated
to call it a human rights issue. Now that I know the truth? There is no more hesitation.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
also learned that because the foreskin of an infant is fused to the
glans of the penis, to remove it from a newborn requires being forcibly
ripped away very similarly to how a fingernail would be ripped off your
nail bed. That sounds painful! Yet this is traditionally and routinely
subjected upon our smallest and most defenseless-- newborn babies.</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Not only that, but the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">foreskin has purpose and function. It is a blessing and a gift from God! His creation is perfect and beautiful! </span><br />
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once
I understood the invention of modern circumcision was merely to curtail
sexual pleasure and that it was completely different from the sign of
God’s covenant in the Old Testament, I started seeing it for what it
really is. A human rights violation. Even comparable to </span><a href="http://www.circumstitions.com/FGMvsMGM.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">female circumcision</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.
It’s alarming to say the least to look at all the claimed “benefits”
and arguments made for female circumcision because they are eerily
similar to the claimed “benefits” and arguments made for male
circumcision.<br class="kix-line-break" /><br class="kix-line-break" />After
all I’ve learned about circumcision historically and Biblically, in my
mind I can no longer understand this as “controversial.” The cutting of a
newborn’s genitals (regardless of gender!) should be the LEAST
controversial thing in the world. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Additional links with excellent information:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Excellent Academic Video: </span><a href="http://youtu.be/Ceht-3xu84I"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://youtu.be/Ceht-3xu84I</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><a href="http://www.mommypotamus.com/snippity-snip-or-is-circumcision-that-simple/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.mommypotamus.com/snippity-snip-or-is-circumcision-that-simple/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/14/post/2011/10/why-my-son-is-not-circumcised.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.thewholenetwork.org/14/post/2011/10/why-my-son-is-not-circumcised.html</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<a href="http://www.cirp.org/pages/parents/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.cirp.org/pages/parents/</span></a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-52726184114913069612013-03-27T17:05:00.007-07:002013-04-02T08:08:16.542-07:00My (Carrie's) StoryWhen I was pregnant with my first child, I didn't research much, to be honest. I was excited to be pregnant, and we had just moved, and I was working, and I just thought about baby names, and car seats, and making a registry.<br />
<br />
I wanted a natural birth, and I just assumed it would happen. I didn't research anything. I wanted to breastfeed, and just assumed it would be easy-peasy.<br />
<br />
I never even thought twice about circumcision. I thought that's just what you did. I had never heard anyone talk about it, or seen any information on it.<br />
<br />
When I was about 37 weeks pregnant, my OB went on and had me "sign all the necessary consents-just in case". I signed an induction form, a c-section form, and a circumcision form. I remember where I was sitting. I didn't even want to read the induction or c-section forms, because I didn't want those. But I was "Required" to sign them-"just in case". I glanced over the circumcision form. It said some stuff that I didn't want to hear. So I didn't read carefully. I didn't know what I was having, so I just hoped for a girl, and signed the form I was told I needed to sign. I was alone, on a bench, and no one went over these forms with me. No one discussed any risks of the procedures. No one told me that the circumcision was optional, or cosmetic, or unnecessary.<br />
<br />
I should have researched it for myself. I own that. But a doctor, knowing that I was a first time mom, and didn't know what I was having, should have taken the time to discuss this procedure with me. It was their duty.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rzRL9xUErp0/UVj5bwB3OZI/AAAAAAAAABM/mt7YLBxeKSY/s1600/Grady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rzRL9xUErp0/UVj5bwB3OZI/AAAAAAAAABM/mt7YLBxeKSY/s400/Grady.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
No surprise to me now, looking back, I ended up with all THREE of those "just in case" procedures that I had pre-emptively signed for. After a failed induction turned c-section, I had my beautiful baby boy. On the second day, they came and told me it was time for his circumcision. Again, no one discussed it with me, or went over the risks, or in any way indicated that this was optional. I let them take him, and I felt sick the entire time. <i><b>Something in my fresh, new "mommy gut" knew that something about this was all wrong.</b> </i> He was a tiny, defenseless, brand new baby, who had only ever known safety and security, and I let them take him for a surgery that I really knew nothing about. I sat there nervously the whole time. I remember eventually telling my sister that it was taking to long, and I wanted to go get him. We walked down to the nursery, and they gave me my baby. Years later, I figured out that he was in shock. That's why babies sleep for so long after a circumcision (most of them in the United States are performed without anesthesia). Not because they are peaceful and happy that they just had surgery-but because their little bodies are in shock. Breastfeeding with my first son got off to a hard start, and I later learned that both cesarean delivery, and circumcision surgery can have a negative impact on breastfeeding. <br />
<br />
<br />
After my first birth, I desperately wanted a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean), so I began researching that almost immediately. I worked so hard on that, that I didn't research much else. Again, I still didn't realize that circumcision was optional. I came across some circumcision information in my researching. It was so hard to see, and so disturbing to think about, I couldn't even allow myself to "go there" mentally. I remember having one conversation with a friend, and said that I wasn't sure about circumcising this baby (once I was pregnant again), but was nervous because my first was circumcised. She said "That IS something to consider", and from there, I began to think that I should "do" this baby because I had "done" my first. How wrong I was. I again was hoping for a girl-at least then I wouldn't have to face the issue.<br />
<br />
I got my VBAC! It was an amazing and empowering birth. I was ecstatic. It was another boy-an amazing, awesome, perfect boy. I don't remember signing a consent form. I know that no one discussed it with me. Once again, I consented to a surgery on my perfect baby, without knowing the risks, or that it was completely unnecessary. I felt terrible when they came to get him. Everything in me was screaming NOOOOOOO. But I thought I "should". I was sick while he was gone. I kept saying to my mom "what if something goes wrong". Again, in my mommy gut, I knew something wasn't right-but something kept me from saying "not my son". I felt sick when I changed his diaper, and kept thinking something didn't look right. And it didn't-no baby should be bloodied like that immediately after birth, for no reason. It shouldn't have been done. <br />
<br />
Between my second and third pregnancies, I started to hear friends talking about this issue, and seeing information on facebook pages. This pushed me to investigate further. I began reading, researching, and looking at scientific studies, personal stories, Biblical studies, and pictures. It was so, so hard to read, knowing that I was learning that I had done something wrong, and painful to my first two sons. I wanted to run from the information, but I knew I owed it to any future sons to be fully informed, even if that came at a cost to me.<br />
<br />
Even before I found out I was pregnant with my third child, I approached my husband. I had reams of research ready. This is how our conversation went:<br />
<br />
I asked him first "Do you believe that circumcision is Biblically mandated?"<br />
Him: "No"<br />
Me:"If we have anymore sons, I don't want to circumcise them."<br />
Him: "Why?"<br />
Me: "Well, I've been doing a lot of research, and the first thing is that it is cosmetic, and unnecessary".<br />
Him: "OK"<br />
Me: "OK? You don't want to talk about it more? You don't want to see more?"<br />
Him: "No, I trust your word and your research. If it's cosmetic, we don't need to do it"<br />
<br />
I can't tell you how thankful, and how proud I was. I had heard that a lot of men have trouble with this concept, and I had prepared myself for a lot of talking, and praying, and time. What a gift to both me, and our future son, that my husband was tenderhearted toward this issue.<br />
<br />
While I was pregnant, I wrote on my birth plan that I would not be circumcising if the baby was a boy. My (Jewish) OB was looking over my birth plan, and I wondered what he'd say. He said "Thank GOODNESS." and then described what he thought of the procedure, and his description included some of the rough to hear words that I promised not to use. He also told me that while he didn't like to do them at all, he did when people asked, because he was the only doctor in the town where I was living that used anesthesia, and that if it was going to be done, he felt the babies deserved pain management. It made me sick to know that the fact that babies were having surgery with no pain relief wasn't just a myth.<br />
<br />
I had my third son, and my nurse asked me if I was circumcising, and when I said no, she said, "good, because it is really just cosmetic". I was thankful that these medical folks were confirming what I already knew, but I was ticked that no one had shared that information with me when I was doing it to my first two sons.<br />
<br />
This is why I talk about this. Because I researched, even when it was hard, and I came out changed. I was sick to know what I had done to my children, "just because"-just because it was what I thought I was "supposed" to do-just because it was culturally accepted-just because I didn't research for myself. I don't want any other mom to feel those same feelings, and I don't want any other baby to go through what my sons did, and will, as circumcision changes the body for life. I would take it back if I could, but since I can't, I want you to know that you don't have to do this. You don't need to do this. Your baby is perfect, just as God wanted Him.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-60951336742156891742013-03-27T11:08:00.001-07:002013-04-02T08:08:40.824-07:00Should everyone in my family match?Does everyone in your family match?<br />
<br />
Are everyone's eyes the same color?<br />
Skin?<br />
Hair?<br />
Does everyone have the same body type? Tall, short, thin, stocky?<br />
<br />
One of the amazing things about people is that we are all different. There are thousands of differences between two humans-from the physical, to the emotional, mental, personality, etc.<br />
<br />
We don't all match, and that is ok, and exactly the way we were created.<br />
<br />
Sometimes people are nervous to leave sons intact if dad is not. Or sometimes people are nervous to leave a son intact, if his brother(s) are not.<br />
<br />
I struggled with that with my second son, and I am sick that I didn't push through those feelings and do some research on his behalf. Instead, I decided that "matching" in the genital area was important.<br />
<br />
But you know what? They don't match.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a5_XIc98AzA/UVkLuZ_vdvI/AAAAAAAAACE/92yY8t12mA8/s1600/boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a5_XIc98AzA/UVkLuZ_vdvI/AAAAAAAAACE/92yY8t12mA8/s400/boys.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />
My oldest has blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and a thin, stick like build. His interests include music, and baseball, and acting.<br />
<br />
My second has dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin, and a stocky athletic build. His interests include sports of any and every kind.<br />
<br />
These are the things you notice. These are the things they notice. Not their matching "parts"- But instead all the differences that are seen. I don't know WHY I was so worried about anything else matching, when the creator of the universe made them different in all these other ways, and the differences are beautiful. (And it must be said-their creator also made their bodies, and I was the one that had altered my first son, so any not "matching" in that area was on my hands, not on my son's, and not on God's)<br />
<br />
As for fathers and sons matching, all the same ideas apply. Do the father and son have matching eyes? Hair? Skin? Build? Interests? If they didn't, would you change the child's hair to match the father? Would the father feel unable to love or relate to his son if their eyes didn't match? Of course not-my husband loves all our three boys infinitely, and in one way or another, he doesn't completely "match" any of them!<br />
<br />
Furthermore, I think this goes without saying, but I'll put it out there anyway- The adult genitalia and the child/pre-pubescent genitalia look VERY different, for lots of reasons, even if they both are in the same intact or circumcised state. I'm sure you know what I mean, without me being specific. By the time that the father and son would have REMOTELY "matching" genitalia, they most likely will not be comparing.<br />
<br />
As for children, I have to think about this. What I did to my first two sons was wrong. I am not going to wrong my third son, just so that they can all be together in my wrongness. If my first son, or second, was missing a finger, or toe, or any other body part, I would not force my others to sacrifice their body part so that they could all match. Same goes here.<br />
<br />
Some ask how I will explain the differences to my children, or if I will. I do plan to. I plan to tell my sons that I was wrong. That the way their brother is is the way that they were born-created by God. I plan to tell them that some people think that cutting off the foreskin is best, and that when we did that, we were doing it because it was what we thought was best at the time. We will tell them that we were wrong, and that we are sorry. It is not a conversation that I want to have, but we have started, in small, age appropriate ways-ways that affirm our love for them, but also affirm that God's creation does not need altering. We will tell them more later. It will be hard, but part of parenting is owning up to your mistakes, and that is what we plan to do.<br />
<br />
Some things are hard to say. That doesn't mean they don't need to be said.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-69498449757255294502013-03-27T08:18:00.000-07:002013-04-02T08:42:59.830-07:00He's a cutie, if I do say so myself!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DOgEk_DbVlc/UVMHnvUZDwI/AAAAAAAAAAg/GmCirLREMYg/s1600/LDM4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DOgEk_DbVlc/UVMHnvUZDwI/AAAAAAAAAAg/GmCirLREMYg/s400/LDM4.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
This is my intact baby boy. This was awhile ago, but I love the smile, and the dimple, so I just had to share!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-54226472670760309412013-03-27T07:32:00.002-07:002013-04-02T08:18:39.861-07:00Not Just Extra SkinThe part of the body that is removed during routine infant circumcision is called the foreskin.<br />
<br />
According to David Llewellyn, an attorney that specializes in circumcision malpractice suits, during circumcisions, oftentimes skin from the shaft is also removed. Because all individuals are different, a doctor performing a circumcision on a newborn can not know what size the penis will be in adulthood. Therefore, taking off the "right" amount of skin is incredibly subjective.<br />
<br />
I think it is fairly understandable why shaft skin is important. However, what is the function of the foreskin? Is it really just extra? Nature's mistake?<br />
<br />
The foreskin is a useful body part throughout a males life. In babyhood, it serves as a protective organ, similar in some ways to an eyelid. The head of the penis (the glans) is meant to be an internal organ. The foreskin covers the glans, and protects it and keeps it warm and moist.<br />
<br />
The foreskin should NOT be retracted in infancy. It is fused to the glans as a protective measure. As the boy grows, anywhere from age 2 up until puberty, the foreskin will separate from the glans on its own. Attempts to retract the foreskin before it retracts naturally will cause pain, adhesion's, and injury. The most common reason for a boy needing a circumcision past infancy is a caregiver causing harm by forcibly retracting the skin.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hGLVUNZmuko/UVkHOM5mQhI/AAAAAAAAABc/-LIYpoNaw4k/s1600/Intact.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hGLVUNZmuko/UVkHOM5mQhI/AAAAAAAAABc/-LIYpoNaw4k/s400/Intact.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
More on protection. The foreskin is the first line of defense, protecting the rest of the penis from injury-abrasions, burns, etc. The foreskin additionally keeps the surface soft and moist, and allows the glans to remain it's healthy red or purple color. The penis is an "entry point" to the body, and the foreskin is protective in nature from allowing foreign organisms into the body. In infancy, the fusion of the foreskin to the glans guards against foreign bodies entering the urethra. <br />
<br />
The foreskin is self cleaning, and is naturally clean. As sterile urine passes through the urethra, and then the foreskin, any foreign bodies that may have entered are flushed out naturally. The functions and self cleaning use of the foreskin is similar to the eye, which was designed to remain clean through fluid and mucous secretions.<br />
<br />
The foreskin hold good bacteria in the body, similar to the functions of the mouth, nose, female genitals, and skin organ. Good bacteria helps the body fight bad bacteria.<br />
<br />
The foreskin has extensive sexual function, which increases pleasure both for the man and his partner. It is self lubricating, reducing or eliminating the need for any artificial lubricants. As I have promised not to be too explicit on this blog, I will not include pictures, or even a detailed description of the further sexual functions of the foreskin. However, if you are interested in this, there are many articles, pictures, and not as explicit drawings that show the sexual functions of the foreskin. The only thing I WILL say about this aspect is that once again, God's design is amazing, and perfect. It is my belief that He created sex, and created our bodies, and the anatomy that He created has purpose, both functional and pleasurable. <br />
<br />
Now, in response to the above, I have heard and read many men and their partners state that they are circumcised and are able to be sexually active. Of course! The surgery would not have stuck around this long if that were not the case. However, we can not know what we have never been given the opportunity to experience. The sexual functions of the whole penis, as created, are vast, and can not be ignored. The majority of the world is left intact.<br />
<br />
Another name for the foreskin is the prepuce, which is the same name given to the female clitoral hood. The clitoral hood provides the same functions for the female clitoris as it is designed to do for the penis. Female circumcision removes the prepuce from a woman, and male circumcision removes the prepuce from a man. The female prepuce and the male prepuce both contain thousands of nerve endings, and are one of the most sensitive body parts. <br />
<br />
Interestingly enough, throughout history there have been a few cases of boys born without a foreskin, and it is considered a birth defect. Being born WITH a foreskin is NOT a birth defect, nor is it a mistake. The foreskin is a body part that has a purpose, and should not be removed routinely from the body.<br />
<br />
(Note: I have numerous sources for this information, but the websites and journals contain graphic descriptions as well as pictures of both infant and adult genitals. The information and pictures are medical in nature, but I understand some people are uncomfortable with it even then. If you would like more information, you can find much of this information in articles and studies which can be found on the Internet. I would be happy to point you to some legitimate ones if you are interested-feel free to contact me and I will send you the information privately)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-63986123232803765122013-03-26T18:37:00.000-07:002013-04-02T08:18:52.124-07:00The two words that changed everythingI'm not going to mince words, even though they are hard to say.<br />
<br />
I believe routine, infant circumcision to be wrong.<br />
<br />
Hear what I said.<br />
<br />
I said that I believe routine infant circumcision to be wrong.<br />
<br />
I did not say that people that have done it are terrible people (if that is true, I am first in line). I did not say that parents who do it don't love their children, or are bad parents (I know I love mine more than I can explain).<br />
<br />
I said that the <b>act</b> of routine infant circumcision is wrong.<br />
<br />
I've been asked why I talk about it. Or why it matters. Or been told it is not an issue of right and wrong.<br />
<br />
I disagree.<br />
<br />
The reason I talk about it, is because I do believe it matters. I <b> </b>believe it matters to God, and it should matter to us. I believe it matters because newborn baby boys are innocent and defenseless, and I believe that we have been sold a lie by our culture. Did you know that the majority of circumcisions are performed without anesthesia? I believe that it is important to stop and think critically about things, even if they are common-even if we think it is what we are supposed to be doing.<br />
<br />
The very, very first thing that struck me when I began to research this topic were these two words:<br />
<br />
Unnecessary<br />
Cosmetic<br />
<br />
To be honest, I was offended. I had already circumcised two of my children, and I was offended that anyone would believe that I did something cosmetic to my child's genitals. What an offensive thought.<br />
<br />
I pushed back my offense, wondering if my defensiveness should signal me that something wasn't right. I kept reading and researching. I found that some insurance companies don't cover routine infant circumcision, because it is considered cosmetic. In 18 states, it is not covered by state insurance.<br />
<br />
I talked to my obstetrician about it (OB's perform circumcisions in most states/hospitals). I told him I didn't want to do it (with my third child). I will spare you his exact words, as I have promised not to use inflammatory language, but to sum it up, he was extremely supportive of my decision. He told me what I already knew-that it was cosmetic.<br />
<br />
Then, I had my baby. The nurse asked me if I was planning to circumcise him. I said no. She said "Well, good. It's cosmetic anyway".<br />
<br />
I already knew this, from my study and research. But it was good to hear it from the mouths of this medical staff. I couldn't help but wonder though-why now? Why are people telling me this, only AFTER I decided not to do it? Why did no one tell me this when I was making this choice for my first two sons? Why did no doctor, or nurse say "you know this is cosmetic, right?". Would it have changed my mind? I'd like to think so, but of course can't be sure. But they should have said it. I should have known that information before I subjected my tiny boys to the surgery.<br />
<br />
The fact that it is cosmetic is one of the biggest reasons I believe it to be wrong.<br />
<br />
When I allowed myself to really break that down, and really think about the fact that as a culture, we have accepted that it is acceptable to perform cosmetic surgery on the genitals of a newborn, I had to admit, even to myself, that that just isn't right.<br />
<br />
Cosmetic surgery (female circumcision) on infant female genitalia was legal in the United States until 1997. More on that later.<br />
<br />
In January of this year, news stories of a mother having her three year old tattooed horrified readers.<br />
<br />
Those two items are shocking to most folks, yet the cosmetic altering of baby boys is not shocking. I had to start asking myself why. <br />
<br />
I believe morally and ethically that cosmetically altering the body of newborns or children, routinely (meaning not to correct a medical problem) is wrong. <br />
<br />
I believe, as a Christian, that routine cosmetic surgery on baby boys is wrong, because it implies that somehow, God was wrong- That what He created was messed up, or ugly, or useless, and it needs to be promptly fixed. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hnYaQ4ZUtIc/UVkIgAkBGXI/AAAAAAAAABk/XZOgkJdsDxY/s1600/Wonderfullymade.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hnYaQ4ZUtIc/UVkIgAkBGXI/AAAAAAAAABk/XZOgkJdsDxY/s400/Wonderfullymade.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Psalm 139:13-15<br />
"For You formed my inward parts; you wove me together in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;Wonderful are your works....My frame was not hidden from you, When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth" <br />
<br />
I Corinthians 12:18 says " But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, each one of them exactly as they should be"<br />
<br />
More on the Biblical and spiritual component later. Yes, I know that there is circumcision in the Old Testament, and will address that soon!<br />
<br />
Cosmetic. Unnecessary . Two words that changed everything. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5678007000514093428.post-74037824606391778362013-03-26T18:31:00.000-07:002013-04-02T08:19:05.135-07:00On Being WrongSome things ARE hard to say.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mOo8iS4Pfa4/UVkJHMztMHI/AAAAAAAAABs/A1gnPHoS_nw/s1600/I%27msorry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mOo8iS4Pfa4/UVkJHMztMHI/AAAAAAAAABs/A1gnPHoS_nw/s400/I%27msorry.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
So I think I'll start with the hardest.<br />
<br />
I Was Wrong. <br />
<br />
<br />
Making mistakes is part of living. It's part of being human, a woman, a wife, a friend, a parent.<br />
<br />
Goodness, does being a parent bring out the mistakes. All of my humanity, smooshed up in a heart that is so full of love, and fear, and a protective, fierce streak that doesn't ever want to mess this thing up.<br />
<br />
So it is hard to admit, when it comes to my children, that I was wrong. That despite all the love, and best of intentions, I was wrong.<br />
<br />
I was wrong to allow my children to be circumcised, when they were days old. I was wrong not to research it fully for myself-instead doing what I thought I had to do, or was supposed to do. I was wrong to not ask more questions, or read more carefully. I was wrong not to go with them.<br />
<br />
So I'm going to talk about circumcision on this blog. I'm going to talk about it, because it matters. I will share information, both medical and Biblical as to why it matters. I'm going to share information with you that I wish someone had shared with me.<br />
<br />
Here is what I promise you.<br />
<br />
I promise you I won't use inflammatory language.<br />
I promise you I won't post shocking or graphic photos.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07034048057155140198noreply@blogger.com0